Annabeth's Curse (Percy Jackson fan fiction)
by LeaCarlo9
Summary: Percy Jackson hated his life. In fact, that was an understatement. Gaea and her forces had finally been defeated-and he had only spent a few short months (out of Tartarus and the Underworld) with Annabeth before she became comatose. (Credits to whoever drew the picture of Annabeth...it's amazing.)
1. Chapter 1

**There you go, my first Percy Jackson fan fiction. I hope that you'll enjoy it!**

**-L**

**P.S. Isabella Greene is ****_not_**** me.**

**P.P.S. Anything you recognise? Sadly, it's not mine.**

* * *

"So you're the new kid?" a burly teenager stood before the little girl and asked with a surprisingly soft voice.

"Y-Yes," the child stuttered, frightened by the female that towered above her.

The teenager chuckled and shook her head. "You shouldn't listen to what those Hermes twins tell you; they're always up to no good. Anyway, I'm Clarisse La Rue."

Clarisse seemed friendly enough, so the little girl nodded and said, "I'm Isabella Greene. Can you please tell me what happened beside the lake just now?"

"Well, you see…do you know about the Greek gods, like, Greek Mythology? You do? Good. The Greek gods are real. Olympus exists. Yes, all those myths are true. Do you know who the gods are?"

"Let me see," Isabella replied, extending her hand to count on her little fingers, "Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, I remember that there is a wine guy"-she paused and gave the daughter of Ares a weird look when Clarisse tried to suppress a grin-"Hestia, Venus-"

"No, no, no." The older girl shook her head again, her arms akimbo. "Venus is the Roman form of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love."

"Oh, I always thought that Venus was the Greek goddess of love…there's also Athena-"

Clarisse piped in, "Yes, that's it! Athena! What was the animal that appeared above your head just now?"

Isabella looked a little annoyed at being interrupted again, but answered, "It was an owl, wasn't it? Oh, wait, I know! Athena's symbol is an owl! What does that mean?"

The daughter of Ares mentally chuckled when she saw the eight-year-old's stormy grey eyes gleam with anticipation. With her honey blond hair, Isabella looked like a smaller version of Annabeth Chase.

"If the Greek gods exist, demigods exist too. You know what demigods are, don't you?"

"Of course I do! They are the children of the gods and the mortals, aren't they?"

"Yes, they are. I am a demigod; in fact, this camp, Camp Half-blood, is for demigods, which means that you are a demigod, too. I'm a daughter of Ares, the Greek god of war," Clarisse said.

Fear crossed the little girl's eyes again, and she took a step away from Clarisse. "_W-war?_ I hate war. War is bad. It kills people," she spoke in short, abrupt sentences.

Clarisse sighed wearily. Why was it that Ares kids were always stereotyped to be bad? Yes, fine, Clarisse had been a bully last time, but people could change, right? She said, "I know that war is bad, but that doesn't mean that I'm bad too."

Isabella whimpered and took a cautious step towards her. "Are you sure that you're not bad?"

"Yes, I am. Now back to the main topic. Like I said, this camp is only for demigods, or half-bloods. Just now, when that owl appeared above your head, you were claimed. You are a daughter of Athena, the goddess of wisdom and warfare."

Clarisse watched as Isabella blinked. "Alright," the eight-year-old replied. That shocked the other girl a lot. No camper had ever received the news so calmly before, save for Jason Grace, son of Zeus.

"You believe me?" she asked in bewilderment.

Isabella nodded. "Why shouldn't I?"

"Oh, nothing, it's just"-Clarisse hesitated for a moment-"it's just that most newcomers find it hard to believe that they are the children of gods and that the Greek gods really do exist."

"Well, it isn't that hard for me, since I dreamed about my mother before."

"You did?" came the surprised reply. When it was met with a nod, the speaker continued, "That's rare."

"Why is everyone so…gloomy?" Isabella asked, observing the facial expressions of various campers.

_Here it goes_. The daughter of Ares braced herself. "You know the camper that you met just now, Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon?"

"Yeah, why?"

"He has a girlfriend, Annabeth Chase, who is a daughter of Athena, like you. Well…erm…let's phrase it this way, Annabeth is currently in a coma due to unknown reasons, though Chiron suspects that it is due to something that happened during one of her quests. Hence, Percy is depressed, and his best friend Grover, a satyr, is depressed because he is depressed, and the entire Athena cabin is depressed, and the friends of the children of Athena are depressed because their friends are depressed, and the friends of the friends of the children of Athena are depressed because their friends are depressed, and so on, so practically the whole camp is depressed," Clarisse paused for a breath before continuing, "get it?"

"Woah."

"Yes?"

"You said nine 'depressed's, five 'friend's and five 'and's in the same sentence."

The older girl felt like face-palming, but opted for the safer way (she might whack her face too hard) and replied, "Ohhh-kay."

That was one true daughter of Athena. Those geniuses.

* * *

Isabella Greene stood over a bed in the infirmary, watching silently as a certain son of Poseidon held his head in his hands and sat beside the same bed.

Finally, she broke the silence, "How long has she been in a coma?"

"Two months, three days, two hours and about thirty minutes," the chocolate-haired boy croaked, his throat dry from weeping and the lack of water.

When a satyr passed by the bed, he muttered in Isabella's ear, "He's hardly ever slept for the last two months. He keeps rejecting his food, and even blue coke can't comfort him."

"Blue coke?" the girl asked in a whisper. The satyr nodded and mouthed before he left, _His favourite drink_. The daughter of Athena glanced at Percy and briefly wondered how coke could be blue.

The boy was still motionless, staring at the golden-haired beauty that was lying on the bed. Her eyes were shut, her long blond lashes forming shadows on her high cheekbones. A pair of peony pink lips was located below her perfectly angled nose. Her skin was tanned, probably from all that training in Camp Half-blood. A blanket covered her from waist-down, revealing the orange Camp Half-blood T-shirt that she was wearing. She looked pretty healthy for a comatose person. Anyone would've thought that she was merely sleeping soundly if they didn't know the plight that she was in.

Her boyfriend, on the other hand, had a pair of sea-green eyes that carried dark circles around them. His face was pale and gaunt, showing, very obviously, that he was horribly malnourished. All that were left on his limbs were sinewy muscles from his earlier, happier days when Annabeth was beside him, conscious and healthy. His lips were thin and chapped, and held an unhealthy colour. Overall, he looked like he had been fasting for days, which he probably had.

_He must really love her a lot_, Isabella thought.

* * *

**I hope it's alright. Well, thanks for reading!**

**-L**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2's up. Percy's chapter. Chapter 1 wasn't anyone's chapter in particular.**

**-L**

* * *

Percy Jackson hated his life.

In fact, that was an understatement. Gaea and her forces had finally been defeated-and he had only spent a few short months (out of Tartarus and the Underworld) with Annabeth before she became comatose.

He felt downright miserable, sitting there in the infirmary of Camp Half-blood, waiting desperately for Annabeth to wake up. The satyrs brought food to him and did regular check-ups on her pulse to make sure that she was alive. When he thought that the satyrs weren't looking, he would give the food to the Hermes kid in the bed to right, who had a fractured leg bone and an enormous appetite. However, lately, that Hermes camper had started refusing the food that Percy offered to him, even if Percy swore that he heard the camper's stomach growling like a lion. It must've taken the camper a lot of willpower to reject Percy's offer.

The day that Annabeth became comatose, he remembered as clear as crystal. He had been in his cabin, Cabin Three, tidying up the mess of clothes, tissue paper and snack wrappers.

* * *

_Two months ago:_

Where was Tyson when Percy needed him? He was probably somewhere in Poseidon's palace, enjoying his snack of peanut butter sandwiches. Right then, Percy really needed his Cyclops half-brother to help him with the mess that was in Cabin Three. He regretted procrastinating last night and leaving everything to be cleared up the following morning (which was that morning). Percy only had a few minutes before Annabeth would come and inspect his cabin. He was really lucky that she had decided to start from the last cabin to the first.

He was contemplating whether he should chuck his favourite jeans under the bed (dusty, dusty) with the rest of his stuff when the door flew open with a _bang_.

Percy Jackson was _so_ dead.

He swiveled around and hid his pair of jeans behind his back, hoping that Annabeth wouldn't notice. For extra precaution, he used his foot to prod the mess under the bed so that it would not tumble out at the most inappropriate of moments. Percy thought about sweet-talking his girlfriend into giving him an adequate mark, but froze when he saw who was at the door.

"Lacy, what are you doing here?" he asked the daughter of Aphrodite.

"Annabeth has fainted! Come, quick!" Lacy wheezed and grabbed Percy's wrist, trying to pull him out of the Poseidon Cabin. She didn't need to do so, because when Percy heard 'Annabeth' and 'fainted', he started to bolt out of his cabin, dragging a panting Lacy along.

When he burst into the Athena Cabin, he didn't see Annabeth anywhere, just a bunch of blonde kids staring at him like he was a madman. "WHERE'S ANNABETH?" Percy shouted desperately, even though he felt extremely stupid.

"Isn't she inspecting the cabins?" Marcus, Annabeth's half-brother, regained his composure and asked. Percy wanted to wring his neck and scream in his ear that Lacy said Annabeth had fainted. Wait a minute…

He whipped his head around and glared at the girl. "Is this some kind of joke?"

Lacy shook her head profusely, her eyes wide with fear. "No, Annabeth fainted in the Hecate Cabin!"

"WHAT?" This time, it was the Athena kids' turn to yell. Without another word, they rushed out of the cabin with Percy, dashing towards the said cabin.

The other campers were bewildered to see a crowd of blond-haired, grey-eyed kids (and a brown-haired, green-eyed Percy) stampeding towards the Cabin Twenty. Before they could react, Percy had already reached the Hecate Cabin and entered with the children of Athena following him.

"ANNABETH!" he wailed and fell on his knees. Piper McLean sat in the middle of the cabin, cradling the love of his life in her arms. She looked up at him, her expression full of anxiety. Darla and Clara Benitez, a pair of Hecate twins, stood to a side, their brows creasing with worry and confusion. Rachel Elizabeth Dare hovered over Annabeth, checking her pulse and her breath. Annabeth's face was ashen and her head had lolled over Piper's arm. Percy stumbled towards Piper and his girlfriend, barely managing to choke out, "W-what happened?"

Clara spoke, "Annabeth was inspecting our cabin when the eyes of Hecate's statue suddenly started glowing green-"

"-There was this voice, the voice of a woman, and it said something like-" Darla interrupted her twin.

"-It said something along the lines of 'you could have joined me and became a sorceress…I would have taught you all that I know…it's a pity…you shall suffer your curse…you cheated me…you should have been killed…'" Clara trailed off and gulped at what she had just said.

* * *

Chiron knew that Annabeth's curse had something to do with little 'visit' to Circe's island when she and Percy crossed the Sea of Monsters. Everything fitted so well; Circe had tried to convince her to become a sorceress, but Annabeth declined. With her quick wits, she managed to defeat Circe, turn Percy back into a human (not a squeaking guinea pig, fortunately with his clothes on), hug him and let loose a bunch of pirates. That's why he loved her so much. He had the most awesome girlfriend in the whole universe.

And she was in a coma.

Percy felt like face-palming-no, face-walling-and pummeling himself to death. His life without Annabeth was like a fish without water. Every breath was painful, and his throat burned like he had just gurgled firewater. Percy's heart ached with longing as he brushed a loose blond curl off the comatose Annabeth's cheek. He forbid himself from thinking that something worse would happen-but the thought slipped into his mind so easily, he almost didn't notice that he was thinking about Annabeth's death.

He had thought that the Fates were cruel to make them fall into Tartarus shortly after they had reunited. He had thought that he must have been really miserable to think of the days when Kronos rose as happy days. If Percy had known that this would happen, he would have jumped voluntarily into a Maeonian drakon's mouth, any day. Right then, he was on the verge of suicide, and the only thing that kept him from barreling head-first into the nearest wall was the tiny sliver of hope that Annabeth would become conscious again.

Ah, hope. It was a dangerous thing to hope, Percy knew. Hope was what came with the various kinds of disasters when they poured out of Pandora's Box (well, technically, it wasn't a box, but the mortals called it one). Hope was what kept the innocent people praying and seeking help from various gods; hope was what kept the soldiers on the battlefield when they were already injured and exhausted. The hope to live in a better world.

Percy hoped that he could live in a better world. A world where there was no danger, no evil and where he and Annabeth could be with each other. However, the Fates weren't born to play fair and square. They had their own way of doing things, and were as fickle as water. Well, they _were_ born from three drops of Ouranos' blood when he got chopped into bite-sized bits by his son, Kronos. Not exactly a filial son, eh?

With the person he cared about most in a comatose (actually, Annabeth was on the top of his list with his mother), Percy's sanity hung by a thread. Sometimes, he would break down (once in front of Chiron, and that was an embarrassing experience) and cry tears that would last him for a lifetime. Even in his sleep, Annabeth's face haunted his dreams. The ghost of her smile would appear in his mind's eye from time to time, making his heart skip a beat before it sunk even lower than before in his chest.

His life was like the Labyrinth.

And boy, did he hate his life.


	3. Chapter 3

**Yay! I'm so happy! (Oh, yes, I'm acting really childish.) Someone added my story into the Story Alert subscription! *Dying of happiness* I never thought that this story would be good. I'm trying my best, though!**

**-L**

* * *

Leo Valdez sat in Bunker Five, melting pieces of celestial bronze scraps with the flames that licked across his palm. Once in a while, he would extinguish the fire to hammer some parts down. Clara had asked him to make a new sword for her, since her old one had perished a few months ago in a burning inferno during the battle against Gaea's army. Leo stood up and stretched before sitting down on the stool again. He had already made the sword, and started to do some final touch-ups.

As a daughter of Hecate, Clara Benitez couldn't just take a random sword from the huge collection of weapons in the Armory. Children of Hecate had magical powers, so normal demigod weapons were likely to crumble to dust in their hands when they were nervous. The sword that Leo was making for Clara was special-the metal was coated with a layer of Anti-Crumble, a solution that Leo invented. Yes, he was such a genius, wasn't he?

Now that Leo was one of the heroes who had defeated Gaea, he had climbed up the popularity ladder of Camp Half-blood. The people on the top were, of course, Percy and Annabeth, who had survived Tartarus. Speaking of Annabeth…they had been through so much together that the scary blonde girl was almost like family. Of course, he didn't like her _that_ way. If he did, Percy would probably chase him around the camp with a herd of stampeding pegasi. Or maybe the Party Ponies. Leo had heard about the wild cousins of Chiron, and thought that they were quite awesome. Not as awesome as Leo himself, Bad-boy Supreme, of course. Well, no matter how awesome he was, he wouldn't want to get on the Party Ponies' bad side. He wouldn't want a horse-shoe shaped dent on his head to destroy his drastically handsome self.

Fine, fine, Leo knew that he wasn't really all that good-looking, but he hoped that with his witty humour, he could win a girl's heart. After he became a hero, some Aphrodite girls had started batting their eyelashes at him and tossing him-dare he say it?-seductive smiles when they passed by. They had treated him like dirt when he had just come to camp. However, he didn't like them. With their flawless looks and perfectly-manicured nails, they looked like the mean, popular girls that used to make fun of him when he had attended school. Not to mention that they were always caked with the sufficient amount of make-up for a whole horde of super models.

Okay, back to the topic on Annabeth. Yes, Percy would also skewer him with his celestial bronze sword, Riptide while Annabeth stood on the sidelines and watched. From what Leo heard about the curses the _arai_ gave Percy during his little 'tour' in Tartarus, it wouldn't be really fun. But Annabeth was in a coma. Even if Leo _did_ have a crush on her, she wouldn't be there to watch Percy beat him up and into demigod pulp. Oh, yeah, Nico Di Angelo might be tracking him down, too. Leo had heard from Piper that Nico had a huge crush on the daughter of Athena. The other Aphrodite girls must really be rubbing off her. She'd never seemed like the gossiping type to Leo. Leo still had his suspicions. That Hades kid seemed so gloomy, it was almost impossible for him to love anyone. Okay, maybe he did love Bianca Di Angelo and Hazel Levesque, but they were siblings (in Hazel's case, half-siblings).

Leo put the finished _xiphos_ down and stood back to admire his work. The celestial bronze gleamed in the dimly-lit cave, casting a faint glow on the anvil. The grip was wrapped with leather, like Riptide. Leo had learnt that the grip was really important-while it served as a surface for decoration, it also helped to increase the amount of friction between the palm of its wielder and the surface of the grip so that the hilt would not slip from the wielder's hand easily. The word _pharmakis_ was inscribed in the hilt. Ancient Greek for witch, Leo knew. The reason why it was named that…well, the sword was meant for a child of Hecate, which meant that it had to be magic.

Above the inscription on the hilt was a hole the shape of a teardrop. The hole was the opening to the inside of the blade, where it became an extremely thin tunnel that ended at the tip of the blade. The hole was for Clara's stone. Every demigod child of Hecate had a stone that held some of their magic. When the stone was inserted into the hole, the magic of the stone would seep through the tunnel, causing the sword to possess magic. Cool, huh? Leo patted himself on the shoulder for coming up with such a brilliant idea. It could put Riptide to shame, any day.

"Wow, Leo. It's…" Clara trailed off, obviously amazed at _Pharmakis_. Leo grinned and said, "There's more!"

Clara gave him the pendant that she always wore around her neck. A green stone that Leo couldn't identify was attached to the silver chain. It looked like a cross between emerald and jade. Leo fit the stone into the hole in the sword's hilt and they watched as magical fluid flowed through the thin tunnel in the blade. The sword started glowing green.

"Yes!" Leo whooped with joy, jumping up and pumping his fist in the air. "Now run along and tell your sister that Uncle Leo made that wicked sword!"

However, the moment Clara bade him farewell and turned around, his smile faded. Clara's caramel-brown hair reminded him of someone…he shook his head to dismiss the thought, but the face of a certain girl that he had left on Ogygia remained etched in his mind. Leo thanked the gods that he didn't specify _when_ he would return to the island and save her. He feared that he had made an empty promise, like what she had said. Whenever he thought about their kiss, his lips would tingle. It was his first full-contact kiss-and his last. He also thanked the gods that it was his last, because he certainly didn't want any of the Aphrodite girls sticking their tongues down his throat. Just thinking about it made his stomach churn.

Leo had sworn on the River Styx that he would go back for her. Since no man found Ogygia twice, it was practically impossible to return to her island. She had said that it was a rule. Leo was born to be a rule-breaker. She had said that it was impossible. Leo had been told that many things were impossible (mainly told by the ever-so-discouraging Lady of Mud, Queen Dirt Face), but they were eventually proved to be otherwise. She had told him that there was _no way_ he was going to go back. Too bad, Team Leo said that there was a way. She had insisted that she hated him. Yeah, right, and Leo was a satyr.

But there was no way Leo could be in love with an immortal girl. Even if he _did_ go back, and she _did_ love him (_no way_, Leo thought), she would still be around fifteen or sixteen when Leo lay in his grave. So let's just focuse on the getting-her-back part.

Leo turned around and trudged back to Bunker Five, his thoughts still lingering on the familiar scent of cinnamon and wood smoke.

Festus' head lay idle on the platform in Bunker Five. A layer of dust conveyed that it had been like that for some time. The bronze no longer shone with its former brightness, and the hard surface was covered with dents and scratches from the battle with Gaea. Leo had said that he would try to build the bronze dragon, but he was so busy that he hardly ever had time to sit down and think. So day after day, month after month, the dragon's head lay there like a New Year's Resolution, waiting for the son of Hephaestus to attend to it.

Leo had detached it from the _Argo II_ so that he could build it into the magnificent bronze dragon it once was. He wanted to do it so that he could return to Ogygia. But somehow, he couldn't bring himself to really pick up a pencil and sketch out the blueprint. Part of him wanted to see Calypso again-the other part knew that he couldn't. Well, he couldn't until he had built Festus the Awesome Flying Dragon.

Staring at Festus' head, Leo reached out and brushed some of the dust off. A cloud of dust billowed in front of him, tickling his nostrils and making him sneeze.

"Getting dusty, eh, pal?" he managed to choke out while he patted the bronze head affectionately (or as affectionately as he could when he was sneezing). He ran a hand over the dull metal and sensed the gears below the bronze surface. "Well, you're gonna be saying goodbye to the dust soon."

Leo rushed to his work table, plopped down on the stool, snatched a pencil and got to work. The graphite tip flew over the paper, forming a rough sketch of a celestial bronze dragon. After adding a few quick lines for the tail, Leo started to calculate the measurements. He glanced back at the dragon's head to make sure that they were accurate. Was it just him, or did the metal surface seem shinier?

The son of Hephaestus surveyed the blueprint that he had drawn and nodded in satisfaction before pinning it onto the board above his worktable.

Leo Valdez would be even busier than before, but he didn't care. Anything to get his best dragon pal back.

* * *

**Festus is coming ba-ack, Festus is coming ba-ack... Oops, I think I have a high sugar intake or something. Anyway, I'm glad. :)**

**-L**


	4. Chapter 4

**Piper's chapter!**

**-L**

* * *

The war was over. Finally.

Piper McLean couldn't find words to describe her happiness. And when the demigods thought that all was well, the Fates _had_ to tie another bumpy knot on their strings of life. Piper hadn't met the Fates before, but from all that she had heard and experienced, she pictured them as three cranky old ladies who sewed too much. Or maybe they were evil old women who plotted the deaths of many. Either way, they were cruel.

Sitting with Jason Grace by the lake, she felt extremely guilty. She had Jason, a loving, caring boyfriend, by her side, healthy and conscious, while Percy stayed in the Infirmary twenty-four/seven waiting for Annabeth to wake up from her coma. She felt as though she was making Percy's life more miserable. Piper had no idea what happened to Annabeth, but she was told that it might have something to do with Percy and Annabeth's quest in the Sea of Monsters.

The day that Annabeth went into a coma was still etched in her mind, the memories as fresh as before.

_Two months, three days, four hours and ten minutes ago:_

Clara Benitez burst into the Aphrodite Cabin and screamed, "PIPER! ANNABETH FAINTED!"

"WHAT?!" came the surprised reply. The daughter of Aphrodite dumped her clothes on her bed and rushed out of the cabin with Clara. On the way to Cabin Twenty, Piper rubbed her ears, thinking that her eardrums had burst. That child of Hecate really knew how to scream.

"Oh. My. Gods," Piper muttered when she saw a blonde girl lying in a heap in the middle of the cold wooden floor of the Hecate Cabin.

_Two months, three days, four hours and fifteen minutes ago:_

"Someone! Go get Percy and Chiron!" Piper shouted desperately to the watching crowd. They seemed to snap out of their shock. Lacy, a petite daughter of Aphrodite, nodded and dashed out of the cabin at a surprisingly fast speed. Who knew that she could run so fast?

_Two months, three days, four hours and seventeen minutes ago:_

"Piper, please try again!" the son of Poseidon begged, kneeling on the floor next to her and Annabeth.

"I did, Percy, I did!" Piper replied in exasperation. "I tried everything!"

She concentrated on using her charmspeak. It had worked with Jason when they had been fighting Khione at the Wolf House and he had accidentally watched Hera turn into Lady Supernova. He had been supposed to die, but he had merely fainted and came around soon. Piper whispered, putting all her emotions and energy into the sentences, "Annabeth, please wake up. You are not going to die. You will live and wake up. Annabeth, please."

It was then that Piper felt a pulse. Hope energized her, and she continued to charmspeak. She couldn't stand seeing Percy like that, with his face covered in streaks of salty tears. However, Annabeth didn't wake up. She was breathing normally and all the colour had returned to her previously pale face, but her eyes did not open to reveal the obsidian pupils in the stormy grey irises. Piper felt that something was working against her. Something powerful, something that also knew how to charmspeak.

She wanted to scream at whoever who wanted Annabeth dead. What did she do to deserve death? Piper and Annabeth were good friends, and sometimes the former would have the feeling that the blonde girl was her sister.

_Two months, three days, four hours and twenty minutes ago:_

Chiron examined Annabeth like she was an interesting science experiment. "No physical injuries…normal breathing rate…normal pulse…," he trailed off, and then turned to the Hecate twins. "What did the woman's voice say again?"

They narrated the incident to the centaur quickly while he carried Annabeth to the Infirmary. "Interesting…," he commented while stroking his chin, his greying brows creased into a frown.

"Interesting?" Percy echoed defiantly. "Annabeth has fainted, Chiron! This is not some joke! She has fainted! And she may die! I can't let her die! She's-she's-" he choked "-she's _everything_ to me."

Piper felt like she was eavesdropping. The others weren't paying her any attention, so maybe she wasn't needed at the infirmary anymore. Really, she felt like she was intruding on some private moment, like when a family member was dying or something.

Piper shook her head as she exited the Infirmary: _No._ Annabeth would wake up, she knew. Annabeth couldn't die. She _wouldn't_ die. Piper wouldn't let her. The daughter of Aphrodite clenched her fists.

Whoever wanted Annabeth dead was _already_ dead meat.

On the next night by the campfire, the noise of the campers was subdued. The murmurs sounded like they were all mourning. The enchanted flames flickered and burnt low, taking on the bad moods of the campers. Piper found herself glancing towards the crowd of grey-eyed kids who sat behind the flag which represented Athena, hoping to catch a glimpse of a blonde girl. But Annabeth wasn't at the campfire. She was still in the infirmary with Percy by her side.

Piper really worried about the son of Poseidon. He had hardly eaten anything for the last two days, ever since Annabeth became comatose. It was only when Piper charmspeaked him into eating his slice of pizza (with big bites, or he would nibble at it) that Percy ate it, only to feel very guilty for caring about his hunger more than his girlfriend later. Piper knew that a pizza couldn't possibly last him for a day, but the boy was adamant about not eating anything anymore. From his heavy eye-bags, she could tell that he had stayed in the infirmary last night, trying to keep himself from sleeping so that he would be awake when Annabeth came to.

The Apollo Cabin started to lead the sing-along, but hardly anyone was singing. Those who did were just humming the tune sadly or murmuring the lyrics. The songs which described brave Greek warriors didn't fit the mood much. Piper would have to remind the Apollo Cabin about their choice of songs next time. Most of the campers were zoning out, their minds wandering to somewhere that could be a few hundred miles away, for all that Piper knew. She sighed and found her eyes wandering towards the Athena Cabin again.

The sing-along came to an end, and Chiron trotted (eh, hooves?) forward to address the campers. "I am sure all of you know that our fellow camper Annabeth Chase is currently in a coma. She might not wake up for the next few weeks-"

"Chiron!" Drew Tanaka yelped from behind Piper. The latter rolled her eyes. Drew was probably going to complain to him that she had to apply her lip gloss (she did that every ten minutes or so) and the whole campfire session would have to wait until she smacked her lips at her handheld mirror and kept away her lip gloss before it could continue. Seriously, that happened before.

Chiron probably suspected that, too, so he turned to the daughter of Aphrodite with an irritated look on his face. "Yes, Ms Tanaka?" he asked, like a strict teacher addressing his student.

"Rachel!" the girl pointed in Rachel Elizabeth Dare's direction, her brown eyes wide. Everyone whipped their heads around and gasped when green mist swirled around their Oracle. _Oh no_, Piper thought, _not another prophecy._

A few campers grabbed Rachel and settled her down on a stool before she could swoon and hit the ground. Then, all the campers stared at her expectantly, like little children waiting for their mother to tell them a bedtime story. Piper wished that it _was_ a bedtime story. A hiss escaped from Rachel's lips and she spoke in the Oracle's voice:

_"Fire's child, you lost a love_

_Who works at an island's cove._

_To find her you will lose your way_

_Only to find yourself betrayed._

_Flames that engulf the betrayer shall curl,_

_In the dead of the night chaos shall unfurl."_

All eyes turned to Leo. His jaw was slack, his expression full of shock. The campfire cast a ghostly light on his face as he gulped and turned to Chiron, then back to Rachel. Piper tried to recall if Leo had ever fallen in love before. Besides trying to flirt with some girls who were totally out of his league, he'd never been interested in anyone else. Piper had never known that Leo was hiding some secret from her. The daughter of Aphrodite shared a look with her boyfriend: _We'll talk to him later._

Suddenly, Rachel stood up instead of collapsing onto the stool like she always did after she recited a prophecy. Piper realised that the Oracle of Delphi hadn't left her yet. The campers watched as she strode mechanically past the campfire, out of the Amphitheatre and towards the Infirmary. Chiron cantered after her, signaling for the campers to remain seated.

Oh no, that was not good. Not good at all.

* * *

**Mini cliffhanger! But not as bad as Uncle Rick's at the end of The Mark of Athena. That was really evil.**

**I'm sorry if I can't really write Piper's chapter well. I still don't know how she thinks. Or Leo. Jeez, I just can't make Leo seem humorous. Sad, eh?**

**-L**


	5. Chapter 5

**This is Jason's chapter. Well, ready to hear from Lightning Boy?**

**Oh, wait! Before you continue, THIS IS IMPORTANT. I'm planning on writing a Percy Jackson fan fiction in which the characters are pirates. Should I? I really need your suggestion! Please, pretty please, include it in your review! Thanks!**

**-L**

* * *

After Chiron left, Jason scooted towards Leo and sat down beside him. "Hey, man, what was that about?"

Leo looked up at Jason, his brown eyes full of confusion. "I-I don't know."

But his eyes said more: _Hey, my cabin mates are here. Let's not talk about it now, alright?_ Jason glanced in Piper's direction and slowly nodded his head. "Okay…"

When he was about to leave, Leo reached out and grabbed his arm, causing Nyssa, who was sitting beside Leo, to send them quizzical looks. "M-meet me outside the Amphitheatre later. And please, don't bring Piper along."

Jason raised a blond eyebrow, but sighed and returned to his seat. His best friend deserved some time alone to think. Hey, it wasn't everyday that you got to have a prophecy directed at you, you know? Besides, the son of Zeus could tell that Leo was pretty shaken. The latter had seemed different ever since he got teleported off the _Argo II_ by Khione. Jason had concluded last time that he was heartsick. From Leo reaction when the name 'Calypso' was mentioned later, Jason knew that it was related to Calypso. Wasn't she trapped on a phantom island or something? Well, since it concerned his friend's well-bring (you never know what people are willing to do for love), Jason was going to find out what was happening himself. And it would start-he checked the clock that was hung on a wall of the Amphitheatre-in eleven minutes.

Jason thanked the gods that there was a clock hung in the Amphitheatre to keep track of time. If he had to bear with that Apollo kid's horrible singing anymore, he would rather dump a whole bag of trash into the lake and get pummeled to death by the naiads. The Apollo Cabin had decided to continue with the sing-along when Chiron and Rachel didn't return after ten minutes. What Jason didn't know was that sing-along had a whole new meaning to it: inviting someone who could hardly sing a note right to stand in the middle of the Amphitheatre and bawl his lungs out. Wow.

So, the moment the hands of the clock pointed to 10p.m., Jason jumped up and said (or shouted, since the voice of the Apollo camper was so loud, it made his ears hurt) a little too cheerfully, "Alright! It's 10! We have to prepare for bed!"

While the Apollo kid groaned in disappointment (and the other campers sighed in relief), Jason shot a meaningful glance at Leo before mingling with the crowd that was about to exit the Amphitheatre. He noticed that many of the campers were staring at the son of Hephaestus.

"Hey." Jason turned around and was met by the ever-changing eyes of a certain girl. He plastered a smile on his face and replied, "Hey, Pipes."

Piper poked him in the arm playfully. "I told you never to call me that. Well, anyway…any idea what happened just now?"

Jason shook his head, trying to look as innocent as possible. His girlfriend sighed and said, "Fine. I'm worried about Leo."

The son of Zeus had to muster all his willpower not to let his suspicions slip from his tongue. He hated hiding things from his friends. Then, he remembered why he was in such a hurry in the first place. "Look, Pipes, I have to go now. See you tomorrow!"

Before she could protest, Jason leaned forward and kissed her. With that, he turned around and sped out of the Amphitheatre, leaving a very confused Piper behind.

"Okay. So this is a guy-talk. No girls-"

"Especially no Piper," Leo interrupted Jason.

"Why? Isn't she one of your best friends?"

Leo's eyes flitted around, as if he was trying to see if anyone was eavesdropping, then focused back on Jason. "Look, don't get me wrong, but…she's a daughter of _Aphrodite_. You know, love, relationships…?"

Jason's eyebrow shot up on his forehead. "So the Repair Boy admits that he is in love?"

"Keep your voice down!" the son of Hephaestus hissed, before continuing, "That wasn't how I would phrase it, it makes me sound like one of those characters from the sappy love stories that my Aunt read."

He looked away nervously. "But y-yes, I'm _so-called_ in love," his tone became a lot more serious when he glared at Jason, "and nothing, I repeat, _nothing_ that is mentioned in this conversation shall leave this place."

Jason nodded, wondering how Leo knew that he was probably going to tell Piper about this conversation. Now that Leo had his word, he was going to have to hide more things from her. Not that he liked it. "So who's the…ah, lover?"

Leo rubbed his palm against his forehead and sighed, seemingly too weary to notice that Jason had made another reference to 'love'. "That's the problem. She's immortal. I'm in l-love with an immortal girl."

"Immortal girl?" the blonde echoed disbelievingly.

Leo confirmed it with a nod. "You know Calypso?"

_Knew it. Oh, wait, it can't be…_ "Yeah, what about her?"

But Jason didn't need to ask. He already knew. Leo's brown eyes looked like shattered glass, the same way hope shattered, and the same way love shattered. "You fell in love with her. An immortal girl."

Jason's mouth tasted like sour lemons. Okay. Woah. He blinked, trying to handle the information overload. He had never imagined that he would be having this conversation with Leo. The latter didn't strike him as the lovey-dovey type.

Jason had spent some time researching about myths ever since he suspected that Calypso was involved in Leo's love life. What was the myth about Calypso again? Something about a girl stuck on an island called Omega? No, something that rhymed with 'nostalgia'. Anyway, that girl was cursed to fall in love with guys who could never stay on the island. That meant…

"She lives on an island. Ogygia. You know, when our dear snow goddess blasted me off the _Argo II_? Yeah, I landed on Ogygia. Had a mini helicopter explosion and barbequed Calypso's furniture. She hated me at first, which was fine by me, since I didn't like her too. She wanted me to leave, so I tried to build a raft. She helped me and-bang!"

"Another helicopter explosion?"

Leo stared at him. "No, dude! Bang means…you know," then he muttered under his breath, "and to think that I thought you were smarter than me."

"I heard that."

Suddenly, Leo straightened up and grinned. "You didn't! Well, enough for today! I've got to go now! Bye!"

"Hey-Leo-wait! Leo Valdez, you come here at this instant!"

"Geez, Superman, if you're already starting to miss my awesome presence, I'll still see you tomorrow, so no worries! Oh, and," Leo called back, "you're beginning to sound like Beauty Queen!"

Jason was about to retort when he felt a hand on his shoulder and nearly jumped. He turned around and understood why Leo had left in such a hurry. "Oh, hi, Pipes."

"Want to repeat that again?" Piper asked in a threatening voice, her hand gliding towards her dagger. Jason gulped and shook his head. The girl laughed, "Just kidding."

They strode towards the Aphrodite Cabin, under the veil of the night sky. The other campers had already returned to their respective cabins and the camp was eerily quiet. "What did Leo tell you?" Piper spoke, breaking the silence.

Jason stiffened. He hoped that she hadn't been eavesdropping. "What did you hear?"

"He was saying the usual. Am I really rubbing off you?"

The son of Zeus felt heat rising to his cheeks. "C'mon, Pipes."

He was slightly surprised when his girlfriend didn't issue another death threat. When Jason realised that Piper wasn't looking at him, his electric blue eyes followed the direction of her gaze.

Chiron, Percy and Rachel had just exited Cabin Three and had grim expressions on their faces. In the darkness of the shadows, they looked like messengers who were preparing to reveal some bad news.

Worst of all, they were heading in the couple's direction.

* * *

**Cliffhanger! WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT? Stay tuned to find out! (The usual blurb on the back cover of books. Except that it isn't 'tuned'. Fine, it isn't 'tuned' in this case either.)**

**-L**


	6. Chapter 6

Percy didn't know what to say. When the last line of the prophecy was delivered to the counselors of the various cabins, he couldn't meet anyone's eye. Gasps were heard all around the ping-pong table, and even the cheese enchilada in Grover's hand dropped onto the floor. The satyr practically _worshipped_ cheese enchiladas, and it wouldn't be good to drop your item of worship onto the floor where it would get dirty, would it?

"WHAT?"

"But-"

"My cheese enchilada!"

"Why-?"

There was a huge cacophony of protests and queries until Chiron raised his hand. The counselors fell silent, but most were squirming uncomfortably in their seats. Leo was as ADHD as ever, tapping his feet against the floor while fiddling with pieces of celestial bronze scraps. The son of Hephaestus reminded Percy of his Cyclops half-brother, Tyson. He hadn't seen Tyson in a very long time, which made his heart ache even more. Grover had dived under the ping-pong table to locate his lost enchilada, causing many campers to scowl when he accidentally grabbed their feet while he groped around for it.

Chiron cleared his throat and Grover had no choice but to return to his chair, inciting whimpers from him.

"The child of Ares may not necessarily be Clarisse…or any other Ares camper, right?" Piper asked. A roasted chicken sprouted out of the cornucopia that she held tightly in her hands. Percy knew that she was trying to use her power of charmspeaking to calm the counselors down as he felt his mind go blank for a second. He rubbed his temples with his fingers. "Look, let's not talk about that now, alright? Let's focuse on something else, like 'Call upon the aquatic mares'."

Will Solace leaned forward and crossed his fingers in a business-like way. He spoke, "Well, we all know that the 'aquatic mares' are hippocampi."

"And that the 'sorceress' is Circe," Percy continued. Okay, apparently not _everyone_ knew that, since some of the counselors started giving him blank looks. "Long story," he added hastily.

Chiron nodded and turned to him. "You have to go to Circe's Island, Aeaea-"

"Woah, woah, wait. Go _back_ there? I'm not sure if the island even exists anymore. If I ever set foot on that place again, Circe will come running after me with her magic fire. She wouldn't even think about turning me into a guinea pig. And this time, I've got no multi-vitamins to save me. So, it's not a good idea."

Chiron's expression hardened. "Do you want to save Annabeth or not?"

The son of Poseidon gave a sigh of resignation and showed his palms. "You got me there. But are you sure that there isn't another way?"

"There is no other way. The prophecy says that you have to go to Aeaea."

Stupid prophecies. They made Percy really want to be a normal kid. As a normal kid, you didn't have your future planned into a confusing, poem-like bunch of words. Yes, sure, prophecies helped sometimes (emphasis on 'sometimes'), but most of the time they just left Percy staring into space while struggling with his muddle of thoughts and emotions. What's more, prophecies really sounded like those mean kids in the schools Percy used to attend, who bossed people around and made them do the things they disliked.

"Fine," he almost spat. "So, 'Wisdom's saviours come in pairs'. Another demigod is supposed to accompany me."

It was a statement, but everyone around the table knew that a silent question had been asked. Nobody spoke, and the only sound was that of a certain satyr munching on enchiladas. Even Leo had stopped tapping his foot, like all the nervous energy was drained out of him.

"I'll come with you."

Everyone turned and faced Piper, their eyes widening in surprise. Jason, who was sitting beside her, took her hand. "Piper, it's dange-"

"-rous, yes, I know. But have you thought about it? 'A magic tongue will break the spell'. There are only two charmspeakers in Camp Half-blood, Drew and me. Erm…no offence, but Drew isn't exactly the fighting type. Since we're going to a _sorceress'_ island, there _has_ to be some combat involved."

The son of Zeus didn't yield. "But you may get hurt or something-"

"Do you trust me?" Piper asked her boyfriend, putting a finger on his lips. He nodded. "And do you trust Percy?"

Slight hesitation, followed by another nod.

"Good. Look, Jason, no one goes on a quest without getting hurt. No demigod is safe forever. I know that you care a lot about me, but sometimes, you have to let go. A caged dove cannot do much. Besides, Annabeth is my friend. I have to help her."

Jason looked like he was trying to swallow a rock. Finally, he croaked, "J-just promise me that you'll come back, Pipes."

"I promise."

Some girls around the table were already tearing up. Clarisse was being helpful by handing out pieces of tissue. Katie Gardner from the Demeter Cabin was just about forming a mini fountain on her side of the table.

Percy noticed that Piper didn't use charmspeak in her words. She probably wanted Jason to really let her go. It wouldn't be fair if she had used charmspeak. If she had, the poor boy would probably wake up one morning and start wailing about his lost girlfriend. Not that Jason would be that pathetic. Maybe he would fly around the camp like a blonde Superman and look for Piper. Yeah, that sounded more like it.

Leo had stopped fiddling with his metal and was pretending to sob like some of the girls. Probably an attempt to cheer the counselors up. Percy didn't really find that funny, but decided to crack a smile so that Leo wouldn't be too disappointed. The son of Hephaestus gave him a thumbs-up and returned his attention back to his precious bronze scraps.

Chiron cleared his throat again. However, Percy wasn't listening. His thoughts drifted to what happened in the Infirmary last night…

_Thirteen hours ago:_

Percy felt his eyes widen in horror when a wannabe Oracle of Delphi stepped into the Infirmary. Oh, wait a minute…he squinted in the darkness and realised that it _was_ Rachel Dare, the Oracle. Thick green mist swirled around her when she proceeded to walk towards Percy. Afraid that she would strangle him or something, he quickly backed away and pushed a stool towards her.

A _clip-clop_ of hooves signaled that Rachel wouldn't be the only company (besides Annabeth) that Percy would be having that night. Soon, Chiron entered, just as the red-headed girl sat down on the stool and rasped:

_"Son of the sea, do not despair,_

_Wisdom's saviours come in pairs._

_Call upon the aquatic mares_

_To bring you to the sorceress' lair._

_A magic tongue will break the spell_

_And Ares' child shall be dispelled."_

With that, she collapsed on the stool, and the green mist disappeared. Suddenly, her eyelids flicked open to reveal a pair of startling green eyes. "W-what happened?"

Chiron and Percy exchanged a knowing look. The son of Poseidon helped Rachel up and replied, "C'mon, we've got a lot to discuss."

After taking one last, long look at Annabeth, Percy left the Infirmary, with Chiron and Rachel in tow.


	7. Chapter 7

"And…sí!" Leo cheered when Festus' eyes started glowing red. Buford the Wonder Table scampered around Bunker Five like a five-year-old who had too many sweets, scattering the pieces of celestial bronze that Leo had stored in its drawer onto the floor.

Festus stood up from his lying position on the platform and roared, shooting a column of fire from his mouth. A piece of wood caught fire and Buford scuttled over to put it out. Leo really regretted not spraying some Anti-Crumble on his tables and stools. However, he was too happy to protest. The son of Hephaestus rushed forward and embraced the bronze dragon like it was an old friend. Well, to him, it was.

"Welcome back, pal!" Leo exclaimed, gesturing towards the large banner that hung from Bunker Five's ceiling. It displayed the sentence,

WELCOME BACK, FESTUS!

and was supplemented with a huge smiley face. Festus's jaw creaked as it looked down at Leo.

Leo grinned and patted its celestial bronze hide. "Yeah, buddy, I love you too. Long time no see, huh?"

_Ring!_

"Hello? Leo, are you in?" Piper's voice spoke from the other side of the giant stone door.

"Hello, kids!" Leo said as he opened the door, revealing Piper and Jason. "You're just in time to see-"

"Is that…Festus?" Piper interrupted him and stepped in, her words laced with wonder. Jason entered after her, gaping at the bronze creature in awe.

Leo faced his dragon and crossed his arms, pouting like a child deprived of candy. "Festus," he whined, "it was supposed to be a surprise!"

The bronze dragon merely whirred its teeth and grinned. Piper rushed forward and circled her arms around it. "Oh my gods, Leo! You built him!"

Watching the happy reunion, Leo used his elbow to nudge Jason. He whispered into the son of Zeus' ear, "Bet you're feeling kinda jealous now, Lightning Boy. Happy the dragon is stealing your limelight!"

Jason laughed and replied, "Well, it's good to have Festus back."

Leo turned back towards Piper and Festus' direction, a smile playing on his lips. "Yes, it sure is."

"Chiron?"

"Yes, Mr Valdez?"

"I'm planning on bringing Festus along for my quest."

"Festus…the celestial bronze dragon? Oh, yes, of course you may. Anything else?" Chiron asked, turning around so that Leo would see his face instead of his horse butt.

_Take a deep breath, Valdez._ "I'm going alone."

"_Alone?_"

"Yes, Chiron. Alone," Leo replied. He knew that Chiron would object. Well, he hadn't spent the past half an hour rehearsing this conversation for nothing. Leo had to make sure that the words 'Ogygia' or 'Calypso' wouldn't slip from his tongue. It would take a lot to cover it up.

The centaur frowned down at him. "But surely, Mr Valdez, you are aware that it is very dangerous to travel alone?"

Leo swallowed a comment about how he had already been on the run long before he came to Camp Half-blood. When he saw Chiron fold his arms, Leo knew that it was the same old lecture again. The son of Hephaestus showed his palms and made pushing motions. "Yes, yes, I am aware of that. And I know that it is best to travel in threes, because there are three eldest gods, three Furies, three Fates, blah blah blah... but I have to travel alone. It's my quest. And I can't stand to let everyone know about-"

Leo bit his tongue before he could say more. That was close. Too close. But the sentence piqued Chiron's curiosity. "Know about what?"

"Oh-erm-nothing," Leo gave a lame excuse. He didn't dare look at Chiron for he had heard somewhere that eyes were 'windows to the souls'. However, Leo was pretty sure that the centaur already knew that something was amiss.

He was surprised when Chiron merely said, "Very well." He would never know what made the guy (fine, horse guy) tick. Leo had to say, Chiron was probably weird enough to qualify for the Party Ponies. Man, it would be awesome if he did. Leo had always wondered what the camp would be like with a Party Pony as a director.

Okay, back to the main topic. No matter how dangerous the quest would be, Leo couldn't risk letting more people know about Calypso. He trusted Jason. Superman could keep a secret, right?

Suddenly, a wail reverberated through the camp. Chiron chuckled and told Leo, "That'll be the Apollo's sing-along. Come on, we're late."

_Nah, no thanks._ Leo didn't want to burst his eardrums, but before he could protest, the centaur had already broke into a canter, forcing him to follow.

"Are you sure that you know where to go, Leo?" Piper asked him for the umpteenth time as the strolled along the borders of the forest with Jason.

Leo sighed, "Piper, I appreciate the concern, but I know what I'm doing, alright? You have to focuse on your quest. I heard that Circe is a really bad witch."

"Apparently, Percy had Hermes' help when he went to Aeaea with Annabeth…" Piper trailed off and gulped. The boys nodded for her to continue. She said, "Since we don't have Hermes' help this time, Percy wants to ask Reyna to lend him her ring."

Leo had learnt that Reyna's ring wasn't just a fancy accessory. It could protect the wearer from evil magic, and was given to Reyna by her mother when she went to work for Circe. What was the name again? Oh, yes, Bellona, not bologna. Some Roman goddess of war.

"How? He isn't going to go back to Camp Jupiter again, is he? Octavian may be planning another teddy bear assault," Jason stated.

Leo suggested, "What about the video-recording scroll that I sent to Camp Jupiter last time? The one that told the Romans we were arriving at their camp."

The other two nodded in agreement, and they went to look for Percy.

"Are you really, really sure where to go?"

"Geez, Piper, do you know how many times you asked that already?" Leo groaned.

Piper blushed and looked apologetic. "Sorry, Leo, I just didn't want you to get lost."

"Seriously, with all your worrying, I think that Jason is starting to feel that you're no longer attracted to him."

"Leo!" Piper protested, punching him in the shoulder. Leo merely laughed, then acted like he was in pain. "Ouch, Beauty Queen, that hurt."

"Like real."

Leo was tinkering at some pieces of celestial bronze at the mess hall, neglecting the delicious food on his plate. He was so engrossed in his activity that he didn't even realize that Piper was standing directly behind him.

"Hey, Leo."

"Ahhh!" The son of Hephaestus jumped, causing the other campers to stare at him. "What is it with you women? Can't you just approach me from the front and not scare the wits out of me? First it was-"

Leo bit back the word. Uh-uh, taboo. The word 'Calypso' is currently not in Leo Valdez's vocabulary. "Never mind," he said, taking a bite of his sandwich.

Piper observed him with a raised eyebrow. "Huh. I wasn't aware that Leo Valdez had wits."

Nearby, Danny Foster scooted towards them and said, "Oooh, BURN."

"Shut up, Danny. Go eat your eggs," Leo snapped, scowling at his half-brother. The latter meekly started poking at his eggs with a fork. Leo turned back to Piper and acted as though Danny had never spoken. "Love you too."

He was about to take another bite of his sandwich when Piper put her hand on his shoulder. "Listen, Leo. I just want to make sure that you know what you're doing."

"What am I doing? Of course I know that I'm _trying_ to eat my sandwich!"

"You know what I mean."

"Holy Hephaestus, woman," Leo muttered, "can't you just leave me alone? This is, like, the gazillionth time you've asked that question. I'm not sure that the word 'gazillionth' even exists. Well, congratulations, you broke a world record."

"Argh, fine, I'll tell you. I heard you talking to Jason."

Uh-oh. Bomb alert.


	8. Chapter 8

Reyna Avila Ramίrez-Arellano sat in the mess hall of Camp Jupiter. Frank Zhang, the new praetor, had taken his seat beside her, with his girlfriend Hazel Levesque on his right. The two lovebirds were smiling at each other while eating their lunch. Hazel had a shrimp gumbo in front of her, while Frank ate a poached egg with bacon on toast, accompanied by a glass of orange juice. Their favourite food, Reyna had observed over the months. She allowed a small smile to slip onto her lips.

The female praetor looked down at the ruby-red apple that she held in her hand. Her long fingernails cut little crescents into the smooth surface of the fruit, revealing the magnolia-white flesh inside. Reyna had always loved mealtimes in the mess hall. It was a time when everyone could enjoy themselves and talk to their friends to catch up with the happenings of the day.

Just then, Octavian strode by. Reyna hardened her expression into a perfect poker face (she had a lot of practice) and received his glare calmly. The Augur was too preoccupied in the Staring Contest and crashed into a plate of fruits that a wind spirit was carrying. The apples, oranges and grapes went tumbling off the large silver plate, causing the wind spirit to shoot Octavian a death glare and curse under her breath in colourful Latin before speeding off with the empty plate. Another wind spirit materialized suddenly, sweeping up the fruits while sticking a tongue out at the descendant of Apollo and left with a _whoosh_.

_Serves you right, Octavian._ The Augur sent Reyna a final glare before marching towards his seat, stumbling over an orange on the floor in the process. Some of the campers started laughing until Reyna held up a hand for them to stop. If she didn't, they might start another food fight, like the one that was instigated by Dakota the Kool-Aid Freak earlier that week. Reyna had ended up with omelette in her hair (not that she had joined the crazy food fight) and Dakota had to clean the unicorn stables for a week.

Octavian wasn't that lucky. He was still recovering from being stuck under an avalanche of tomatoes. Reyna was pretty sure that his white Augur robe still smelt of ketchup. It was probably revenge for Mission Teddy Assault that Octavian had planned for Percy Jackson's visit to Camp Jupiter. As ridiculous as it sounded, the sacrificial stuffed animals that were charmed by the children of Hecate (how Octavian persuaded them to, Reyna didn't have an inkling) gave Percy quite a warm welcome by hurling spears at him the moment his pegasus Blackjack entered the boundary of the camp. As a punishment, Reyna ordered Octavian to clean the unicorn stables for a month in addition to cleaning the public baths (which were basically swimming pools). The stink really didn't mix well with Eau de Tomato.

"Ow! What was that for?" Octavian whined when an apple hit him on his shoulder. Rubbing it to soothe the pain, he scowled at Gwen, who merely gave him an innocent smile. She replied, "I thought that apples would cover the unbearable stink. I'm sorry that it didn't work."

A banana went onto Octavian's head with a _splat_. Then a pear. Then an orange. Grapes. Then…what was that?

A blueberry pie smacked straight into the Augur's face. There was a sudden uproar and the campers started throwing food at each other. The fauns that hang around in the mess hall were most delighted to see food raining down on them and started to stuff them into their mouths like starving wolves.

"STOP! Stop the food fight! Settle down!" Reyna shouted as loudly as she could, but no one heard her over the din. Everyone seemed to be having fun, even the usually grumpy Octavian, who was grinning like a madman while shooting grape missiles at Dakota. His white robe was a complete mess and looked like one of Rachel Elizabeth Dare's T-shirts. Reyna told herself to remember to arm the campers with burritos the next time they went to war. Some campers were laughing themselves to death, rolling in the food muck on the floor.

No longer able to stand the food fight, the daughter of Bellona stomped out of the mess hall and took a shaky breath. An egg flew towards her and she ducked just in time. It was unmercifully pierced by the nose of the statue of Julius Caesar. Reyna shook her head, wondering why the craftsmen had carved him such a long, pointy nose. Seriously, the statue's nose could skewer a few marshmallows on first try. Not that Reyna had ever tried.

She strode on and arrived at the fountain. Sitting there, Reyna stared at the azure blue sky, deep in thought. She wondered what was going on at Camp Half-blood then, and if Dionysus and Chiron allowed food fights during mealtimes. Her thoughts then drifted to the first time she met Annabeth Chase. She really admired the daughter of Athena. Not anyone could single-handedly trick Arachne, retrieve the Athena Parthenos and escape Tartarus with a fractured ankle.

Just then, a wind spirit zoomed towards Reyna and handed her a scroll. Without another word, she opened it to reveal something that was similar to a YouTube video. The video started playing, and Percy appeared on the parchment. There were several beds around him with fauns-no, _satyrs_ tending to the injured. Reyna assumed that he was in Camp Half-blood's Infirmary.

"Hi, Reyna. I hope that this message finds you well," Percy spoke, weakly waving his right hand. Reyna almost gasped in shock. Percy was definitely not well. He had heavy eye-bags and his face was gaunt and pale.

He continued, "After I returned to Camp Half-blood from my visit to your camp, Annabeth-she fell into a coma." His voice cracked. Reyna's throat felt dry all of a sudden. Percy shook his head and said, "I need to go to Circe's Island. A-yay-ya or whatever it's called. It's the only way I can save Annabeth. I need your ring. I have to save Annabeth. Please, Reyna."

Reyna twisted the ring on her finger protectively. It was given by her mother, Bellona, the Roman goddess of war. The ring was Reyna's most prized possession…should she give it to Percy? If she did, she could save a life. But she couldn't help thinking Octavian's way. What if it was a trick? No, the sad look in Percy's eyes had to be real. Reyna trusted him. She would lend him her ring.

"I'll arrive at your camp next week with Blackjack. Please tell Octavian that I mean no harm," Percy finished. From the background, a voice that Reyna recognized as Leo's spoke, "Hey, you done?"

Percy looked away from Reyna and said, "Yeah."

The screen went blank.

* * *

"It must be a trick! The Greeks cannot be trusted!" Octavian said through gritted teeth, shooting up from his seat into a standing position. Reyna pursed her lips and mentally groaned. Was that guy _ever_ going to stop being an idiot and accept that fact that the Greeks were already their friends? Frank, who was sitting beside her, spoke calmly, "Octavian, you do realize that no one's really listening to you, don't you?"

True enough most of the campers present at the meeting were either studying their nails, zoning out or minding their own business. It was only until Frank spoke that they turned their attention back to him. Octavian looked really pissed, and shouted, "You have to listen to me! This is important! What if that Percy Jackson comes with a whole army?"

"Eh, it's pointless to argue, Octavian. Run along now, go skewer some bears," Frank replied to his outburst, waving him off dismissively. The Augur clenched his fists, and then stormed off like a spoilt brat. Reyna turned to the rest who were in the room. "So it is decided. Percy will arrive next week. I will lend him my ring so that he can save Annabeth."

A _lare_ in the back row raised his hand. "But what if he doesn't return it?"

Reyna's expression hardened. "I trust that he will. Anymore questions? No? Good. You are all dismissed."

* * *

_But what if he doesn't return it?_


	9. Chapter 9

**Hi readers!**

**Just typing to tell you how grateful I am that you like this fan fiction! :D I'm so glad! *Jumping around the room and squealing like a fangirl* I'll try to post as fast as I can, but I'm kinda busy nowadays. If you review, please tell me whether I should start writing a fan fiction in which the demigods are pirates! I know that most readers have brains that are programmed to ignore author's notes, but I hope that at least you can notice. PLEASE.**

**Oh, yeah, if I suddenly stop posting after I post Chapter 11, it's because I've got no gusto anymore. :(**

**On that happy note, let's begin.**

**Cheers,**

**Your appreciative budding fan fiction writer,**

**LeaCarlo9**

* * *

Piper looked expectantly at the son of Hephaestus. The latter gulped and back away like she was an _arai_ or something. "I-I don't know what you're talking about," he stuttered.

The daughter of Aphrodite shook her head and sighed. "You know what I'm talking about. Since when did Leo Valdez stutter?"

Piper heard Leo curse in Ancient Greek before he replied, "Fine. I know what you're talking about. So what about it? It's just that I'm madly in love with some girl, that's all. Nothing much."

"Well, I heard someone say something about 'daughter of Aphrodite'. Hmm?"

"ARGH!" Leo threw his hand up in the air. "Fine, fine, I give up! Seriously, you Aphrodite kids have extraordinary ears. I bet that you can hear what the Stoll twins are talking about over there."

Piper cupped her ear and pretended to listen, then said, "Nah. Nothing worthy of gossip."

She saw Leo's eyebrow shoot up and under his messy fringe. Suddenly, he jumped up from his seat, abandoning his sandwich, and pulled Piper away from the Hephaestus table. Then, he motioned for Jason, who had been enjoying his meal, to follow them. They strode quickly towards the Hephaestus Cabin and entered.

"Uh, Leo, are we even allowed to be here?" Jason asked, looking around the cabin.

"Well, kids, if you want to listen to Uncle Leo's story, you'd better stay put," Leo answered simply, then plopped down on his bed. "And I trust that none of you will tell anyone else about the following."

He went on to explain what happened from the moment he got hurled of the _Argo II_ to when the rest of the crew found him drinking coffee. When he finished his story with a tinge of longing in his voice, Jason spoke up, "I knew that there was something wrong with you drinking coffee. You never liked coffee."

Piper had also noticed that Leo wasn't acting ADHD when they had found him, which was extremely rare. So far, the only moment (besides that) when he had acted like this was after he had been rooted to the ground in fear when Coach Hedge tried to run him over with a lawn mower (don't ask Piper where the old goat got it). Leo had been saved when he caught fire and melted the whole lawn mower into a puddle of goo. There was still a spot on the strawberry fields that smelt of burnt plastic. All just because Leo accidentally stepped on a butterfly.

"So…Piper will be following Percy to Circe's Island, and I'll be going to Ogygia with Festus," Leo summed up. Then, he turned to Jason, "Sorry, man. But we have to go. Says the prophecy."

Jason smiled, but Piper could tell that the smile was strained. He nodded sadly. Piper felt so bad for Jason that she wanted to throw her arms around him and comfort him. He didn't deserve to be left alone while his best friends went on their quests. Leo patted Jason on the back and Piper hugged him. She felt like they were saying their final goodbyes and were never going to see each other again. Hopefully, it won't be like that.

* * *

"Try not to provoke Octavian," Piper told Percy while he mounted Blackjack. The pegasus snorted, like it was saying that his 'boss' would _definitely_ piss Octavian off, one way or another. Percy smiled weakly in response. "I promise nothing. That guy deserves it. I never knew that teddy bears could be so violent."

Piper tried to grin, but couldn't when she was reminded of the main reason why they were risking their lives to go on the quest. Annabeth was still in a coma. It seemed that Percy understood her, for he sighed and stroked Blackjack's mane thoughtfully. "I-I wish she were here."

The daughter of Aphrodite whispered, "Me too."

"Well, I have to go," Percy said, and Blackjack rose into the air. With a final wave of goodbye, the son of Poseidon disappeared into the clouds along with his pegasus. Piper hoped that he wouldn't be too focused on insulting Octavian and would remember to borrow Reyna's ring. Of course, if Reyna had received the video scroll, she would cut to the chase and bring up the main subject. Which was _not_ calling Octavian a serial murderer of stuffed toys (yes, Piper had heard about the murder of Percy's teddy panda).

Piper turned around and headed for the Aphrodite Cabin, hoping to get some rest. She hadn't slept well last night as her ears had rung with the horrible shrieks of the Apollo camper that sung during sing-along the previous night.

* * *

_Seriously?_ was all that Piper thought when she found herself in an expensively furnished room. A beautiful woman with long, charcoal-black hair which was braided in gold threads sat on a throne-like chair in front of her. The hem of her dress, as dark and silky as her hair, was swathed around her ankles. Her piercing green eyes seemed to penetrate Piper's soul, even when the latter was dreaming.

"Well, you're our little heroine, aren't you?" the woman spoke in a smooth, melodious voice. However, her tone held scorn and bitterness. She laughed mirthlessly and said, "I shall be kind and give you a head start, but once you reach my island, things will not be so easy anymore."

_Circe, you heartless witch,_ Piper wanted to yell, but when she opened her mouth, no sound came out. Circe laughed again, and her painted lips twisted into a smirk. "You should be glad that I am helping you, you ungrateful demigod. I should be killing you as a revenge for what that Percy Jackson did to my spa!"

Spa? Okay, that wasn't expected. Piper had no idea that Circe owned a spa. Wasn't it a hotel of some sort, where the witch would lure men and turn them into pigs? Oh, right, guinea pigs, according to Percy. He had said that he had had first-hand experience, which Piper assumed wasn't really exciting.

Whatever that Percy had done to her precious little spa, it seemed to infuriate Circe. Her green eyes were filled with hate and anger. "Oh, I will kill him for that!"

Suddenly, she stood up, turning her attention back on Piper. _Uh-oh._ There was a maniacal look in her eyes, one that resembled Coach Hedge's when he was about to swing his club at someone. Could you kill someone in a dream?

"Oh, no, fellow charmspeaker, I will let you live. You may be useful to me. You see, I am a powerful witch." To emphasize her point, Circe reached out her hand, and green flames flickered across her palm. "I have many powers. You can become my apprentice and learn magic. I will teach you all that I know. Rid your life of those useless, selfish men who use you for their own good."

Piper's mind was whirring like gears in a machine. She could feel her brain struggling to say 'yes'. Circe was using charmspeak. Charmspeak controlled the brain, making the person's mind go blank so that he or she would follow the charmspeaker's orders. The only thing which could be stronger that one's mind was one's feelings. Piper would have to let her heart take control.

Circe read her thoughts, and her expression changed to one of anger. "Do you know any famous female demigods?"

"Atlanta? And, erm…" Piper tried to think of more. At that point of time, she wished that she had scoured the Athena Cabin's library. Circe clapped her hands triumphantly. "Ha! See? Hardly any! I aim to let the world know that females are not the weaker gender! Join me, Piper McLean!"

"Nope, not working," Piper forced out through gritted teeth, concentrating on her emotions. "There are more kind-hearted men than the useless, selfish men whom you speak of. And according to scientific research, men _are_ stronger than women on the average."

Sure, she was spouting rubbish, but at least it worked. It got Circe mad and she stopped using her charmspeak. "How dare you! You are unfaithful to your own gender!"

The witch was shaking with fury, jabbing a finger at Piper. She let out a wail of outrage and the room went pitch-black. For a moment, Piper panicked and thought that Circe had cast some spell and blinded her, but when she blinked, she found herself staring up at the ceiling of the Aphrodite Cabin.

* * *

**PLEASE REVIEW IF YOU WANT ME TO WRITE A FAN FICTION IN WHICH THE DEMIGODS ARE PIRATES. Thanks!**

**(Sorry about the caps, but I had to do that to get your attention.)**


	10. Chapter 10

"What in Hades'-?" Nico di Angelo stuttered when he stumbled from the shadows into a dark, gloomy room. It struck him. _Hades._ He was in the underworld. But why? Nico hadn't willingly shadow-travelled there-in fact, he had just been playing ball with Mrs O'Leary in Camp Half-blood's forest. Percy had been too grief-stricken to entertain her ever since Annabeth fell into a coma. Hence, when the hellhound had approached the son of Hades with a red rubber ball in between her teeth, he couldn't refuse. Especially when Mrs O'Leary gave him the large begging eyes. Yeah, yeah, you may be thinking: What? Nico di Angelo, son of Hades and walking oddball, AKA Death Boy, took pity on a hellhound, and thought that she was _cute_?

Yes, Nico did, but he had a not-so-good reputation to uphold, so not a word to anyone else. At times, he also wondered if he had become comatose, would Percy worry that much about him? Probably not. Maybe that guy would at least eat some food and not starve himself like what he was doing now.

Nico's train of thoughts came to a standstill when a figure emerged from the shadows. He knelt down, knight-style, and spoke solemnly, "You called me, Father?"

"You may rise. Yes, I called you, Son. But this time, it is for a quest," a deep voice boomed in the room. A woman entered the room. She wore a flowing white dress and her smooth raven-black hair was braided with flowers. Nico felt his fingers itching to grab the hilt of his stygian-iron sword. Seriously, who would like a step-mother who had turned them into _dandelions_? Perhaps some flower freaks like Persephone, but no, definitely not Nico di Angelo.

"Step-mother," he greeted, but this time with more hostility. Persephone nodded curtly and stood beside her husband. Hades focused his obsidian eyes on his son. "Recently, I had the Cyclops forge a dagger for my wife. This dagger, _Egeiro_, can raise anyone she wants from the dead."

Nico resisted the urge to snort. Yeah, right, Dad, good time trying to get your wife back. Persephone was probably going to resurrect some good-looking dude who was as dead as a dodo, then cheat on Hades with him. Nico had never trusted his step-mother.

"You see," Hades continued, "the dagger was stolen a few days ago. We tried to find the thief, but he or she had already exited the underworld. I want you to help us locate the dagger and bring it back, Son."

Okay. Wow. Did history just repeat itself? "Not to be rude, but isn't this like the half-made sword quest last time?"

Hades frowned. "You can say that. However, this time, the thief has mastered very complicated magic. No one can teleport out of the underworld. Hence, tracking him or her is very difficult. In the wrong hands, _Egeiro_ can be very dangerous."

The son of Hades mentally groaned. What was it with gods and goddesses? They were almost the most powerful beings in the universe, yet they always needed help of demigods, who were 'inferior' to them, to complete their quests. It looked like the peaceful afternoon would not be so peaceful after all.

* * *

Nico trudged towards the Hades Cabin, rubbing his ears. Ouch. The Apollo camper had a really good pair of lungs, and a horrible voice. There should be a sentence in Hades' court that stated 'You are sentenced to eternal torture by a singing male spawn of Apollo.' It was so much worse than 'You are sentenced to bathing in a tub of boiling oil for eternity.'

Currently, Nico had a lot on his mind. The worst part was that he had no one to talk to about it. Hazel was in Camp Jupiter and Mrs O'Leary would bark and drown him in hellhound drool. If he started talking to himself, the other campers would think that the Death Boy had officially become a Muttering Maniac and send him to the nearest asylum. Chiron and Dionysus would probably support the GRODB campaign. 'Get Rid of Death Boy'. Not really creative, yes, but who had time for creativity when there was the weight of a quest on one's shoulders?

The inside of the Hades Cabin was dark like the Underworld. Gems glowed from the bricks which they were engraved in. Sighing, Nico plopped down onto his bed. He hardly ever stayed overnight in camp. That day, he was so exhausted that he could hardly shadow travel out of the Hades Cabin if he tried to. Taking off his chain belt and aviator jacket, Nico slipped under the blanket, too tired to take a bath.

* * *

Oh, man. Nico forgot about one thing. Sleeping meant dreams. Another reason why he liked it in the Underworld was that he didn't dream as much as he did on the surface. He felt like slapping himself, but there was no way he could when he was sleeping. So all Nico could do was to stand helplessly while a bright (yes, that was the first thing that he noticed) room appeared before him.

He couldn't believe it. Since when did his Mythomagic cards start appearing in his dreams? On a chair in front of him sat a beautiful woman in a midnight-blue dress. Shadows seemed to be dancing on the fabric. Her hair was as black as Hades' eyes and her irises were like swirling, green potion. Exactly how Nico remembered the picture on his Circe Mythomagic card to be.

"No, demigod, I am not a character from a game. I am Circe, one of the most powerful sorceresses in this universe. I am here to barter with you. Yes, I stole Persephone's dagger. You see, after Kronos and Gaea fell, it is time for me to rise. Let me keep the dagger, and I will make you the god of the Underworld once I rise," the woman said.

Nico felt the urge to nod his head, and then realized that Circe was using charmspeak. He gripped the hilt of his sword, trying to concentrate. "NO!"

Circe looked unimpressed. "I can even give Percy a love potion. Bring Bianca back. I can give you whatever you want. Just let me keep the dagger."

"NO! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Nico screamed, and the marble floor cracked, revealing a deep chasm. Zombie soldiers crawled out one after another, advancing towards Circe. The sorceress merely laughed and waved her arm. Suddenly, the whole scene plunged into darkness.

_Let me keep the dagger, Nico di Angelo, half-blood son of Hades._ The voice swamped him, and he fainted on the spot.

* * *

Some campers gave Nico curious looks when he took his seat at the mess hall. He was obviously shaken and he had gone to the mess hall earlier than usual. He gulped and licked his lips. Nico had to escape from his cabin. For once, he was scared of darkness. It reminded him of the voice in his dream and the suffocating feeling. The sentence made his blood run cold, if it wasn't cold enough already.

Nico glanced at the Poseidon Cabin's table. Percy wasn't there. He had already left for Camp Jupiter. Looking down at his plate, Nico felt like cursing Eros. He wished that that stupid love god could be swallowed into Tartarus or something. Or maybe he could just fade, like Pan. But no, love would never fade. There were still so many people around the world believing in love. Just search YouTube and you'll get more than a hundred songs about love. Yes, Nico knew about YouTube. He had to, since his dad had an iPhone. Seriously, it would be embarrassing if you didn't know something about modern technology that your dad knew. After all, Nico _was_ in the 21st Century, wasn't he? He had to learn.

After the 'morning rituals', the campers tucked into their breakfast. Nico rolled his grapes around his plate with a fork, his eyes following the purple fruit. His drink was plain water. Percy had always nagged at him to eat more during meals, occasionally offering him a slice of pizza. Nico knew that Percy treated him like a little brother. Why did Eros, or the Fates for that matter, have to do this to him?

_Cling!_ Nico looked down at his plate and realised that his fork had pierced through a grape and the metal tips of the fork had hit the plate.

* * *

**Sorry if Nico wasn't depressed enough. I tried my best. It's hard writing from so many people's perspectives.**

**-L**


	11. Chapter 11

**Sorry for the delay...was kinda busy. I'll be even busier starting from the 18th, so don't expect immediate updates.**

**-L**

* * *

Demigod+Sleep=Dreams. The equation that Leo kept forgetting. Well, serves him right, then. He would have to suffer for the rest of the night. Oh, wait a minute…was that Percy?

Leo scanned his surroundings and realized that he was in Camp Jupiter, which meant that Percy had arrived at the Roman camp. He was talking to Reyna, who had an indignant-looking Octavian huffing beside her, reluctantly shutting his big mouth up under the praetor's orders.

Frank stood on the other side of Reyna, listening intently to the conversation. Leo had to applaud the big guy. He had never thought that the Chinese-Canadian babyface would become a praetor. Yes, Frank was a child of Ares (Mars, whatever) and all, but he didn't really show much leadership until the time when the seven (and Nico) were in the House of Hades. Jeez, it was like he had a growth spurt or something. Leo, who was the shortest of the seven (Nico included), wasn't really encouraged by that. He remained as short as ever, just taller by a few centimeters or so. Leo wished that _he_ could have a growth spurt. He wouldn't have to bear with Piper ruffling his already-too-messy-to-behold hair anymore if that happened.

"…I have to save Annabeth," Percy was saying, looking imploringly at Reyna. Leo could see the latter's eyes soften by a fraction. She nodded, and held out her ring. "Just remember to return it in one piece."

Of course, Octavian just _had_ to ruin it. "No, Reyna! How can you? This is your ring, the ring that your mother gave you! You can't just go lending it to others like it's a toy or something!"

Reyna glared at him. "How many times have we been through this, Octavian? I told you that we have already made peace with the Greeks. And we are friends, too."

The female praetor seemed more pissed off than usual. She probably had to bear with Octavian's complaints for the whole day. Leo pitied Reyna. Seriously, who would want to listen to some crazy teddy-bear slayer ramble on and on about something that was already as old as the dinosaurs? Okay, fine, Leo was exaggerating, but you get the point.

"But-but," Octavian stuttered, and then glared at Percy when he realized that he was at a dead end. The Augur sneered, "Fine. Give the ring to him, then, Reyna. If he doesn't return it, don't go blaming others."

Reyna hesitated, but placed her ring in Percy's palm and closed his fingers around it. "Please keep it safe. Now go, you still have to save Annabeth."

The son of Poseidon's eyes flitted between Reyna and Octavian (who was folding his arms and pouting) before nodding. "Thank you, Reyna."

The Romans (and Leo) watched as he mounted his pegasus and rose into the air. Leo glanced back at Reyna and Octavian, trying to read their expressions. Reyna had her usual pokerface on, and Octavian was still acting like a spoilt brat. Did these people ever have any other facial expressions?

* * *

Leo looked around in wonder. He'd never known that Octavian appreciated art. Somehow, every time he thought about it, Leo would start chuckling when scenes of a wall covered every single inch with paintings and stuffed teddy bears appeared in his mind. As he stood in front of that very wall, Leo couldn't help but admire some of the artworks. They were each painted with different styles, some meticulous, some rough and messy.

Octavian sat on a chair by a table, frowning while he fingered a sugar biscuit. He sighed and glanced at a clock on the wall. Okay, wow. Was that even Octavian? Leo felt like grabbing him by his shirt's collar and demanding why he was suddenly bi-polar. The son of Hephaestus nearly jumped when Octavian muttered, "Why, Cupid? She's a maiden. Even if she loves me, we can't be together."

Leo felt his jaw drop. Cupid? Love? Octavian was in love? Holy Hera. That couldn't be possible. Who were maidens? Artemis, Thalia Grace (who was totally out of Leo's league), Rachel, Hera… Leo had heard that Athena was a maiden too. But there was no way that Octavian could be in love with a goddess. So strike them out. That left Thalia and Rachel. Leo didn't remember Octavian meeting any of them. Well, it must've been some maiden in Camp Jupiter.

Just as Leo was contemplating whether he should blackmail Octavian to give Percy a safe journey (an army of teddy bears was dangerous), he heard a distant ringing. It sounded so familiar…

"Leave me alone…," Leo mumbled, but his eyes fluttered open to reveal Bunker Nine. The annoying sound was coming from his alarm clock. He groaned and left his bed, still thinking about Octavian's serious crush on a mystery maiden.

* * *

"You ready for an adventure, Festus?" Leo asked as he patted the bronze dragon on its head. Festus roared and spouted fire-Leo took that for a yes. "Well then, pal, we'll be leaving tomorrow!"

Festus' jaw creaked. Leo understood what the dragon was trying to say. "I want you to meet a friend. Her name is Calypso. She's a nice girl. But she's stuck on an island, Ogygia. We have to look for her. You up for it?"

Another cheerful roar raised Leo's spirits a little.

* * *

"Be careful! And don't do anything stupid!" Piper shouted from below him. Leo called back, "I won't, Beauty Queen! Good luck on your quest!"

Festus gave a final roar before he spread his massive wings. Leo had built them so that they ran on solar energy. Blame Grover for getting the 'Go Green & Recycle!' notion inside his head. Seriously, the satyr didn't know how expensive the solar panels cost. Leo was pretty sure that he'd raised some suspicions by putting the delivery address as 'Farm Road 3.141 Long Island, New York 11954'. The delivery van ended up parking in the middle of the road.

After some 'Thanks for going green, Flame Boy', 'Good luck' and 'How much did those solar panels cost? We want some for our newest prank's later (the last comment came from the Stoll brothers, no doubt), Leo finally took off, enjoying the feel of the breeze tousling his curly hair. He hadn't ridden Festus for such a long time. The son of Hephaestus grinned down at his dragon. "First stop, the Sea of Monsters."

No, no, Calypso wasn't a monster, but Leo figured out that since so many weird creatures from the Greeks myths were there, the Sea of Monsters had to be where Ogygia was. The guidance console had reset itself the moment he left Ogygia, making it impossible for him to find out the exact location of the island. Bummer. Leo had fixed the crystal that Calypso gave him into the astrolabe, so now he had a back-up if the guidance console suddenly went wrong.

It would be better to have a back-up if one was flying over the Bermuda Triangle. Leo had heard of many strange disappearances of ships and planes that travelled over it. It was due to all the magical islands, of course. Leo, despite his ADHD, had dutifully read up on the Sea of Monsters. The books in the Athena Cabin came in handy. He'd found out that there was an island of sirens, a Cyclops' island and Circe's island on that sea. And Scylla and Charybdis. The Sea of Monsters was full of those and other godly things. Leo thanked the gods that he'd read up on those stuff, or he would turn into demigod pulp the moment he got to the entrance of the sea. The details were too gruesome to mention, so let's just leave it at that.

Camp Half-blood disappeared from Leo's view. He knew exactly where to go. "Festus, set course for Washington DC. Choose the fastest route, but avoid flying over water. I'll guide you from there."

It was safer to fly above land, now that Gaea had returned to her eternal godly (or titan-ly) slumber. Well, compared to water. If Festus' brain suddenly short-circuited, at least Leo could land (more like crash) on dry land to fix it. Water wasn't good for massive bronze dragons. Hence, even though flying to Washington DC first wasn't exactly the fastest way to the Bermuda Triangle, Leo opted for that choice. Taking more time to save Calypso was better than stumbling through the air with a drunk-on-water mechanical dragon then drowning in the Atlantic.

Just saying, Festus! No offence intended.

* * *

**Oh, I can't believe myself. I actually let Octavian fall in love with someone. BTW, I had to do tons of research on the map of USA to choose the right route for Leo. I'm not American, so I don't know much.**

**-L**


	12. Chapter 12

**Finally, I get to insert the line breaks. It was really confusing, wasn't it?**

**-L**

* * *

Percy felt lucky when he landed on Half-Blood Hill with Blackjack. Aside from a _venti_ attack that was most likely not planned by Octavian, his trip back to Camp Half-blood went pretty well. Better than he expected, at least. He'd tied Reyna's ring onto his Camp Half-blood necklace so that it wouldn't get lost.

Fingering with the silver band, he slid off Blackjack and started towards Chiron, who was waiting for him behind Thalia's Pine. Percy nodded to the centaur, who nodded back and gestured for him to follow. Chiron led him to the Big House, only the _click clack_ of his hooves against the path breaking the silence between them.

They entered the blue building to find the other cabin counselors already gathered around the ping-pong table, waiting for the duo. Grover was munching on a chicken enchilada. When Percy raised an eyebrow, he explained, "There're no more cheese enchiladas. Apparently, the other satyrs _finally_ realized how delicious these babes are and started gobbling them up like frenzied piranhas. Those things aren't nice, I tell you. Grandpa Woody nearly got his right hoof bitten off by one of them when he visited the Amazon River."

Yup, that's right. Grover's grandfather had the same name as the cowboy from Toy Story. But this wasn't an appropriate time to mention what injuries those scale-covered murderers gave your granddad. The satyr's words earned him an exasperated glare from the cabin counselors. However, he took no notice and nonchalantly took another bite of his enchilada.

"So, you got the ring," Piper spoke. Percy nodded and showed her Reyna's ring. It had a crossed sword and torch, the symbol of Bellona. Percy hoped that it could provide enough protection for him and Piper if Circe decided to go crazy and shoot a deadly curse at them. Or maybe send some horrible monsters like the shrimpzilla. Uh, that was bad.

"When will you leave?" Clarisse asked. Everyone turned to Percy. He gulped and fidgeted in his chair, feeling self-conscious. "If possible, Piper and I will leave next week. And we need a boat."

_Not a dingy like the one Camp Jupiter gave Frank, Hazel and me for our quest,_ Percy wanted to add. _Preferably one like _Queen Anne's Revenge_. I liked that ship._ Sad that he had to leave it. Suddenly, Percy realised that everyone else was giving him a weird look. "What?"

"The prophecy told us to use hippocampi," Piper reminded him. The son of Poseidon blinked, and then smacked his forehead. He muttered while rubbing the bruise, "Oh, yeah! Sorry, I forgot."

Curse him and his memory lapses. Percy hated them. His memory lapses, not himself. But who knows, maybe if this quest became an epic failure, he might start hating himself too. Suddenly, it felt as if the silence was a little too awkward. Something was amiss… Percy scanned the room and noticed, "Hey, where's Leo?"

"He has already left for his quest," Chiron replied with a frown, "but of course, I do not approve of him going on such a dangerous quest himself." Percy's eyes widened. "What? He went on a quest _himself_?"

The son of Poseidon swore, if that Leo Valdez ever returned, he would get an earful from the former for scampering away on a quest alone. Man, did that guy know how _dangerous_ that was? Even Percy wasn't allowed to go on a quest and do a one-man show. Truthfully, he found it nicer to have his friends around so that he could talk to them. And of course, they would always help him when he needed it.

Then again, maybe Leo had his reasons. Yeah, sure, he was single, but normally he would be accompanied by Piper and/or Jason. His best pals. Something really weird was going on. If Percy had realised that, his friends probably already had. Annabeth had always told him that he could be a real 'Seaweed Brain' at times.

The sudden heartache felt like a heart attack. Percy clamped his hand on his chest, trying to stop the pain that wasn't there. It wasn't _just_ there. He depended on Annabeth to live. If his Wise Girl got separated from him, he would feel like he had lost a part of him that would never return.

"You okay, dude?" Grover asked with concern, waving a half-eaten enchilada at him. Percy managed a stiff nod, and turned to Chiron, hoping that he would take the cue. The centaur inclined his head briefly, just enough for the boy to see. He announced, "Meeting adjourned."

* * *

"Percy, I may be stupid sometimes, like when I realized that Reyna's initials were R.A.R.A. and said it out loud, but you are obviously _not_ okay," Grover said, trotting on his hooves to keep up with Percy. The latter noticed other campers sending the satyr warning looks, which he blatantly ignored. Percy sighed. "Look, I don't want to talk about it."

Grover seemed to understand (for once) and clapped him on the back. "I'm there when you need me, man. Gonna go meet the Elders."

As Percy watched Grover's retreating figure, his mind wondered back to the first time they went on a quest together. He had been twelve then. That was, like, five years ago. It seemed like forever. Percy still couldn't grasp onto the fact that he was already seventeen.

Even though he had only existed in this world for seventeen years, he felt like he had already been through enough to last him for a lifetime. Seriously, Percy bet that even an average mortal old man hadn't experienced as much love, despair, heartbreak, depression, joy, sadness, excitement, anger, shock, surprise and the whole lot as he had. Percy suddenly felt so old. That was kind of depressing.

Trudging back to the Poseidon Cabin, Percy merely glanced at the mess around the floor, too dejected to even bother to clean up. Who cared about cabin checks, anyway? His girlfriend was in danger. And that was almost the worst thing in the whole wide universe. Would you be bickering about the cleanliness of your cabin when your loved one was _comatose_?

Percy flopped onto the bed and sighed, his elbows propped on his knees. The new fountain that Poseidon had built for Cabin Three sat in a corner, spouting jets of water. Percy had sliced the last one with Riptide as he had been too traumatized with the scenes that had appeared in the mist of the fountain. Even though it was early, Percy decided to crash in. He was exhausted from all the flying and the hassle.

* * *

"How does it protect us?" Piper enquired, examining Reyna's ring. Percy face-palmed, not believing his forgetfulness. "Oh, no," he grumbled, "I forgot to ask Reyna!"

Piper shook her head to say that it was alright. Percy wished it was. No, in Hades' name, it was _not_ alright at all! He would have to go back to Camp Jupiter again, and the quest would be delayed. Delayed quest meant a longer time taken to save Annabeth. A longer time taken to save Annabeth meant that she might die. And if she died, Percy would probably borrow some elder viper's poison from Tartarus and swallow it. Never had he thought that poison could one day come in handy for him.

"Calm down, Percy, you're getting all worked up." Percy flinched when Piper put a hand on his shoulder. The person who did that the most was Annabeth, his very own Wise Girl. How did Piper know that he was having an internal panic attack? Oh, right, she was a daughter of Aphrodite. Bachelor's Degree at reading facial expressions. Was that even the highest degree? Nah, never mind. Percy removed her hand gently and stared into the distance. "What do you suppose we do, then?"

Piper looked thoughtful. "We figure it out ourselves. You can't go back again, it'll be troublesome and will delay the quest too."

The son of Poseidon nodded wearily. He took the ring from Piper and rubbed his finger against the crossed sword and torch. Not working. He tried to twist the pop-upped part. Still not working. Push it. Not working either. Percy pressed the ring at random spots, hoping that some force field would pop out if he applied pressure on the right spot. Nothing happened.

"I wish Leo was here," Piper mumbled, fiddling with the silver band. "He could've figured out how to activate the protection system." Percy was nodded. He didn't speak, but he was trying to recall the times which he had really appreciated the son of Hephaestus. Maybe it was the same case with Bob and Calypso. Sure, Leo was his friend, but Percy realised that he didn't start being grateful for someone's existence until that person was gone.

"Percy!"

The son of Poseidon spun around and was confronted by a figure that towered above him, covering him in its dark shadow. His eyes widened to the size of saucers.


	13. Chapter 13

**This is the longest chapter so far. Enjoy!**

**-L**

* * *

"Tyson!" Percy shouted, rushing forward to greet his half-brother. Or more like dashing forward to get his bones crushed. Piper winced when the Cyclopes enveloped Percy into a huge bear hug. She had heard about the former's amazing strength, and certainly wouldn't want to get on the bad side of his Cyclopes army. They would probably pelt her with peanut butter sandwiches before outrunning her with their long legs if she ever did.

"Brother!" Tyson greeted heartily, pulling back while Percy massaged his ribs. The latter's smile came out in a grimace. He'd probably forgotten that his half-brother was a lot stronger than him, having worked in Hephaestus' forges. Tyson was blissfully ignorant of his brother's pain and observed the camp from his position. "Why is everyone so sad?"

Piper noticed Percy's face tighten, and decided to help him. "Well," she started, "you know, during the trip to the Sea of Monsters? Yeah, the sorceress Circe cursed Annabeth, so she's in a coma now."

"Coma? As in…endless sleep?" Tyson asked, scratching the back of his head. Piper shifted her weight to the other foot and nodded. "Annabeth's in danger. She may die."

"Annabeth? Die?" Tyson wailed, his single eye suddenly a little too bright. Piper felt bad that she had to deliver the news to Tyson, but Percy probably couldn't stand to tell his half-brother about his girlfriend's plight. The daughter of Aphrodite fidgeted. Sure, she knew what to do when mortals and demigods were sad, but when it came to a Cyclopes who was on the verge of crying, she was absolutely clueless. The only thing she could think of doing was to pat him on the back and console him. "Yes, we're trying to save her. Percy and I will be leaving on a quest to Aeaea."

"Aeaea. Bad island. Evil sorceress," Tyson muttered angrily, clenching his huge fists. Out of blue, Percy jumped and snapped his fingers. "Of course! Tyson, you worked in the forges, right? You can help us figure out how we can activate this ring so that we can save Annabeth!"

Tyson snatched over the ring, seemingly eager to save the blonde girl. He ran a thick finger over the smooth silver surface and closed his eye. Piper had seen Leo do that many times before, when he had been trying to figure out how the gears of the old, rusty machines in Bunker Nine worked. Percy and Piper were silent, letting the Cyclopes concentrate on the work at hand.

"I don't know what it is," Tyson frowned while saying. Piper felt her heart plunge towards her stomach. The rest of the Hephaestus Cabin was busy with making new weapons, and distracting them might result in metal scraps, springs, daggers, swords and colourful Ancient Greek curses flying around. A whole batch of newly-made weapons would be gone to waste. Not a great idea to call them for help now.

Percy was obviously devastated, his former hope and gusto completely wiped from his face. He took the ring and half-heartedly fiddled with it with his eyes closed, as if he was trying to imitate Tyson in order to figure out what secrets the ring held. Finally, after a few minutes, he opened his eyes and looked down at the ring. "It's weird. I can feel something which is definitely _not_ related to any engineering."

"Maybe it's magic," Piper suggested. "We should look for Darla and Clara." Percy nodded in agreement, his sea-green eyes holding a little spark once more. The trio started towards the Hecate Cabin.

"This isn't normal magic. I'm sorry, but...we don't know what it is either," Darla stated. _Thunk_ went Piper's heart once more. She could nearly hear the flame in Percy's eyes extinguish with a hiss. Tyson had started crying again, his sorrowful tears retracing the paths of the former ones.

Clara and Darla exchanged an anxious look before turning back to them. Clara said, "Bellona is the Roman goddess of war, isn't she? Mars, the Roman form of Ares, is her twin brother. We think that if this ring belongs to the daughter of a goddess of war, maybe the Ares campers can help."

"_Ares?_ But isn't it all about strength and muscles and stuff like these?" Percy asked incredulously. "As far as I know, Ares kids don't work magic or make rings." _All they do is try to terrorize and pulverize the other campers_, Piper finished his sentence for him. _With an exception of Clarisse, of course._ According to Percy, that girl had changed a lot. Before the second Titan war, she had tried to stick his head into one of the toilet bowls in the female toilet. Big mistake. Clarisse ended up getting her mouth washed by the not-so-pleasant water that normally resided in toilet drainages. After the war, however, she'd become extremely kind, especially to newcomers. Annabeth had told her (three months ago) that the former suspected it was due to the death of Silena Beauregard, her best friend, who was once the cabin counselor of the Aphrodite Cabin. She'd died during the Titan war trying to save the camp. Hence, even though she had been a spy for the Titans at first, the campers (excluding Drew) still respected her and missed her.

"Seriously, Percy, stop being so big-headed," Darla chided, crossing her arms. Clara was pursing her lips, showing that she, too, was annoyed by Percy's behavior. "Even though Ares campers don't 'work magic or make rings', _Ares_ does. Remember your Roman friend, Frank Zhang? He got the blessing of Ares, and that is considered as a form of magic."

Piper glanced at Percy. The son of Poseidon had slouched in defeat and was muttering under his breath. Piper caught something that sounded like 'Ares kids' or 'Alice's needs'. The former seemed more likely to be what he had said. He sighed, "Fine, fine, we'll go."

Really, the Ares Cabin should have a motto that was somewhere along the lines of 'Naturally intimidating.' Just looking at the spear and the hog's head above the entrance, both drenched in fake blood, Piper felt her knees turning to jelly. And the daughter of Aphrodite had faced things that were far worse than a skewered hog's head dipped in red dye. The barbed wire around the cabin didn't help much either. Furthermore, the paint job was horrible. The Aphrodite part of Piper badly wanted to grab a bucket of fresh paint and cover up the ugly, crimson splotches. In fact, Tyson had been so scared of this cabin that he'd made a quick escape to the lake in hopes of looking for Rainbow the hippocampus. Well, that was his (un-valid) reason. (One did not simply pluck a hippocampus from the sea and throw it into a lake.)

Percy took a shaky breath and knocked the door. From his expression, Piper inferred that he probably had had nightmares about this place. The door, which had 'ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK' hastily painted on it in red, bold letters, creaked open to reveal Clarisse La Rue. Percy and Piper heaved a sigh of relief that they would live longer for at least a few minutes. The burly girl questioned, "What is it? Do you need help?"

The duo explained everything to her. Clarisse nodded, then said, "I'll look at the ring, but I'd better come outside. The guys are having a fight-fest in there."

Percy and Piper were more than willing to let her come out. No way was Piper ever going to enter that cabin without a responsible adult chaperone. And that adult had better not be Coach Hedge. He'd probably start doing his Chuck Norris round-house kick to the fast rhythm of the heavy metal music (was that even music?) which blasted from the stereo.

"Let me see," Clarisse said the moment they got to the campfire which sat in the middle of all the cabins. Percy handed her the silver band. The moment the ring came in contact with Clarisse's fingers, it flickered and turned into a shade of gold. The other two gasped in surprise when some inscriptions appeared on the surface of the ring in bright, gold letters.

"Holy Poseidon," Percy said in awe. Piper and Percy moved forward to get a closer look of the inscriptions. It was written in Ancient Greek. "'Will of Ares' child make it work thrice to save three.'" Percy translated with a frown. "Will as in, Will Solace?"

"No, it's will, the noun," Piper explained, the gold light reflecting into her multi-coloured eyes. "Fancy how the meaning is all crammed into one sentence." Clarisse narrowed her eyes. "Which means…I'll have to come along with you for the quest. Only my will can make this work."

"But 'Wisdom's saviours come in pairs'," Percy replied, comprehending what she was trying to say. "Only two can go on the quest." Piper's eyes widened when she thought about the rest of the prophecy. Oh, gods, why was everything so complicated all of a sudden? Surely the Fates weren't playing a nasty trick on them. However, the more she played it through her mind, the more it seemed like something that the three immortal old ladies would weave with their long yarn. She whispered her thoughts, "'A magic tongue will break the spell, And Ares' child shall be dispelled.' All three of us must go. Only two will survive to save Annabeth... Clarisse-"

Piper choked. Surely it didn't mean that. Clarisse couldn't go all the way to Aeaea just to die. But it was cruel enough to be another work of the Fates. Piper wanted to cry to the gods. Most demigods were heroes who saved the world. They didn't deserve such twisted fates. It wasn't fair for their lives to be controlled by someone else. Why did it have to be like that?

She felt like cursing Janus, that stupid god of choices and doorways. But no, she should be cursing Hecate now. The three demigods were at crossroads. It was likely that one of them would die. They had a choice to quit, but they couldn't leave Annabeth to rot. If three of them went, it was likely that Clarisse would die. If Piper quit, there wouldn't be a 'magic tongue' to complete the prophecy. If Clarisse quit, there wouldn't be someone to provide them with protection from Circe's magic. If Percy quit-no, that guy would never quit. Besides, the quest was issued to him.

They had to make a choice. Piper's eyes flitted from Percy's face to Clarisse's while she contemplated. Protection was more important than charmspeaking. Besides, Circe was a charmspeaker too, so hopefully she'd suddenly go cuckoo and start spouting cures to Annabeth's curse. Yes, that was it. Piper took a deep breath and told the other two, "I'm quitting the quest."

If the situation wasn't so serious then, Piper would've begged Kronos to freeze time in order for her to rush to her cabin to get her cell phone and take a picture of Percy's and Clarisse's expressions.

They were positively priceless.

* * *

**You guys are awesome.**

**-L**


	14. Chapter 14

Really, that old witch just couldn't leave him alone, could she? _Never insult a lady by calling her 'old'._ There that _elderly_ woman went again. See, he didn't call her 'old'! _You're lucky that I'm really patient today, son of Hades._ Oh, yes, old hag, he was. Oops, sorry, that _accidentally_ slipped. _Yes, and I'm your father._ Wow, Nico wasn't aware that a three-thousand-year-old lady was capable of sarcasm.

Ever since that dream, Nico had been trying to get to the Sea of Monsters to retrieve Persephone's dagger. However, that dreaded woman just had to bug him by entering his mind. Hence, whenever he was just about to shadow-travel to Aeaea, some weird reason would hold him back for a few days before his next attempt. Circe felt like one of those clingy high school girls who practically glued themselves to their boyfriends. Not that Nico wanted her to be his girlfriend. Gods, that was disgusting.

As he stood behind Thalia's tree, the son of Hades summoned his powers and prepared to sink into the pine's shadows. _Uh-uh-uh, what do you think you're doing?_ Nico cursed and tried again. He tried to concentrate on shadow-travelling, but that annoying voice at the back of his mind started talking whenever the witch sensed that he was about to shadow-travel.

"Shut up," Nico growled in frustration, running his pale fingers through his unkempt hair. He was just about ready to pull every strand of his dark hair off his scalp. If he ever got to reach Aeaea, he would proceed to lop off that sorceress' head with his stygian-iron sword first. 'Kill two birds with one stone', the saying went. Nico could get rid of Circe _then_ retrieve that cursed dagger for his flower freak of a step-mother after she was out of the way. _Ooh, having violent thoughts now, are we? Very well, then. An eye for an eye, a ear for a ear…_

* * *

The vision was blur, but clear enough for Nico to see what was happening. When he finally made out the shape of a giant automaton, he wished that the vision could be completely blur. Or maybe even fade. Yes, fading along with the evil witch would be the best.

The automaton's celestial bronze amour gleamed in the harsh sunlight. It towered above Nico in the middle of the road, looking down at the sparse vegetation and the small mountain of mechanical junk on one side of the road.

"BIANCA, NO!" Nico whipped around at the mention of his sister's name, and regretted it soon after. A younger version of Percy stood there, holding Riptide in one hand and a small figurine in the other. His hand was clamped around the latter, but Nico knew perfectly well what it was. The son of Poseidon was reaching out, trying to chase after someone. And Nico knew perfectly well who it was, too.

A girl with olive skin was darting towards the automaton, her chocolate braid flying behind her. Her silver clothes and bow and arrow practically announced that she was a Hunter of Artemis. Her dark eyes, which were framed by thick, long lashes, held a kind of determination that covered all the sadness behind it.

The girl was familiar, but Nico didn't know her. She had a different air around her-one of confidence, one that made the boy feel extremely strange that she could possess such a quality. The Bianca he knew wasn't like that. This wasn't his sister. Yet he loved her and grieved for her just like he did.

Nico tried to make a dash for the girl, but everything seemed to move in slow motion. He made a grab for her shirt, but the moment he did, she'd already jumped onto the automaton. Bianca climbed nimbly and snuck in between the bronze plates, completely oblivious to the silenced, anguished cries of her brother.

The son of Hades could almost hear Circe cackling away. _Nothing like 'almost' to make something hurt more._ He watched in despair when the automaton fell apart and collapsed, along with his sister, his world and his heart.

"BIANCA!" Nico screamed in agony, bolting towards the heap of metal. When his hand came into contact with the bronze plate, the tip of his fingers evaporated into mist.

"Bianca, why…?" he rasped, reaching out to grab the figurine that had tumbled from Percy's hand. Percy and the automaton had magically frozen in time, leaving him to grieve over the loss of the person who cared about him the most. "Really, B-Bianca, just because of this?"

The Hades figurine in Nico's hand was smeared in dirt and grime, but he didn't care. Once he got back to reality, he would throw the real Mythomagic figurine into the campfire and watch it burn, watch it fade into smoke. Gods, he _hated_ that figurine. He hated Bianca for being so stupid. She paid for the figurine with her life when in any store, you could just pay with money and hope that it was the figurine of a sulking god that was enclosed within the opaque plastic wrapper.

Cracks branched out across the ground, and the road split apart to reveal dozens of skeletons and zombies. Nico didn't even realize that he'd used his powers. The thought of never seeing his sister again jabbed at his heart with greater force than before, causing him to double over and cry.

He was merely a memory to Bianca, just like she was his. She had moved on and chosen rebirth. Now, somewhere on Earth, a new Bianca existed, unaware of her previous life. Soon, he would fade into the background, and she would, too. Two different worlds, separated by a thin line. Neither could reach across, unless Fate decided to cross their paths.

The pale boy fell to his knees, burying his head in his hands. Tears of every emotion possible streaked down his cheeks. Those were the first tears that he'd cried in months. The teardrops flowed down, leaving fresh, new scars, but Nico didn't care. He relished every tear, every ounce of emotion that had been pent-up inside him for the past month.

Pain flared in his chest and burned like a fire. This was probably what Percy felt after he got cleansed in the River Tiber. Vulnerable and exposed, like someone had flipped his insides out. Nico could totally relate.

* * *

Hades stroked his chin and nodded. "I see. Continue your search, Son. Thank you. You are dismissed."

Nico bowed and left the throne room. His eyes were still cold and dull like before, but they showed more wisdom, like he had achieved enlightenment or something. But the situation wasn't that happy. He'd realised something far more painful and bitter, something that would affect him greatly inside, but didn't show much on his appearance. However, he still didn't get why Bianca wanted to leave him. Had he been too bitter? Did she think that he didn't love her anymore? Nico wanted to scream that he'd loved her since forever and would never dream about hurting her in anyway. Yet why had she hurt him?

When the son of Hades looked around, he spotted Elysium in the distance. Well, taking a little visit there couldn't hurt, could it? For once, he needed to be surrounded by happy people. He turned and started walking towards the Heaven-Under-Earth.

By the time Nico reached there, the daily barbeque had already started. Smelling the smoke that wafted through the air, Nico smiled. If you had to know one thing, it was that the barbeques in the Underworld were the best of its kind.

* * *

"Hey, anyone up for an extra helping?" Charles Beckendorf shouted from his spot beside the barbeque pit. Nico knew about souls and ghosts, hence he felt the sudden nervousness that Beckendorf had when he saw Nico in Elysium. The son of Hephaestus' eyes were guarded, like he was trying to hide something from Nico. Well, the latter would find out, no matter what.

"I'll have one," Nico replied, standing up and handing his plate over to Beckendorf. Beckendorf hesitated and nodded before putting some bacon on his plate. The rest of the heroes were either chatting among themselves or just chilling out, so no one paid them much attention. Making sure that he wouldn't be heard, Nico said, "You're hiding something from me."

Beckendorf was slightly shocked, but regained his composure and started scratching his head. They were silent for a few seconds, with him glancing at Silena Beauregard from time to time, probably to make sure that she wasn't going to flirt with another guy. Oh, wait. Silena wouldn't flirt with another guy. She was too in love with Beckendorf. _Sorry, guys_, Nico thought apologetically, but his expression didn't change. It was still the same expectant look.

"Okay, fine, I'll tell you. But please, don't tell anyone else. Even Silena doesn't know," Beckendorf finally said, though edgily. Nico nodded for him to continue. "Look, I-I'm like you. I wasn't from this century."

That did it. Nico's brow shot up all the way until it disappeared below his disheveled fringe. That wasn't possible, unless some child of Hades raised him from the dead, or he got locked into the Lotus Hotel and Casino, like Nico and Bianca had. "When, then?"

"The 19th century." Beckendorf looked ashamed. He was casting his eyes downwards, like he was scared to meet Nico's gaze. The bacons and sausages on the barbeque pit started sizzling, and he fumbled to get them onto a spare plate before they burnt. Nico took a few and headed towards a vacant table, motioning for Beckendorf to follow.

"You and I have a lot to talk about," Nico told the other demigod while eating the bacon. He set his plate down on the wooden table and slipped into the bench opposite Beckendorf. "First things first."

The son of Hephaestus nodded slightly reluctantly, like he was already regretting his decision of telling Nico about his past. The son of Hades frowned at him.

"Did you even put the barbeque sauce?"

* * *

***Insert devilish grin here* So Beckendorf isn't from this century. Things are getting more and more interesting, eh?**

**-L**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hi! Sorry for not updating for a long time!**

**-L**

**P.S. 2014 will be really busy for me, so I will hardly be updating.**

* * *

"What?" Jason asked in bewilderment. "What do you mean by Piper's not joining the quest anymore?" Days ago, his girlfriend had successfully convinced him into letting her go on a quest without him, and now she's quitting the quest?

Clarisse passed him Reyna's ring and replied, "She quit voluntarily. Only a child of Ares can control this ring, hence I must go with Percy to Aeaea. Piper thought that a 'magic tongue' could be anyone, so she might not be needed on the quest. Besides, only two can save Annabeth. If she comes along, it is likely that one of us will die."

"Oh, good," Jason sighed, slumping in his seat. When he realised what he had just said, he immediately amended, "I mean, um, it's good that Piper won't be hurt, not that one of you would die." Clarisse managed a small smile, but said nothing. There was an awkward silence between the two until Jason enquired, "You'll be leaving tomorrow?"

"Well, then good luck on your quest. I have to go talk to Piper now," Jason said when his question was met with a nod. Clarisse stood up from her seat and replied, "Yeah, alright, I'll have to say goodbye to Chris too."

Jason couldn't help but feel that she meant she wouldn't be seeing her boyfriend anymore.

* * *

There was silence between them, but it wasn't awkward. They enjoyed it, the moments of peace amongst all the chaos that was happening. It was a time when they could process all that was going on, and talk to each other. Jason's head shot up when Piper spoke softly, "I miss Leo."

"Yeah. Yeah, me too." Jason's mouth felt like he had tried to chew sand. The lack of a bubbly person who constantly made horrible jokes was the reason behind the weird feeling that he had. At times like these, he really appreciated having Leo with them. Jason felt guilty for all the times that he'd wished Leo would leave them alone. He'd never known that Leo could have such deepness under that cheerful façade of his. If Jason had realized earlier, he could've helped Leo more.

"He's changed, though," Piper replied, "he's getting more distant. And I-I think it's our fault. Or maybe it's just my fault. I'm a daughter of Aphrodite. I should be an expert on feelings. I-I didn't find out earlier about Calypso. I should have. Gods, I-I never thought that Leo-and he's on a quest alone! H-he's like the little brother I never had… I don't know how I can live without him. I should've helped him! I should've gone on the quest with him."

Jason couldn't stand it anymore. He turned to face his girlfriend and lifted her chin gently, looking into her kaleidoscope eyes. Right now, they were turquoise and suspiciously bright. The son of Jupiter could see sparkling tears welling up inside them. He couldn't let her blame herself.

"Look, this isn't your fault. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. I knew about it earlier than you. But what's most important isn't who we should blame this on. It's what we should do," Jason said. Piper averted her eyes, probably too ashamed to look directly into his eyes. He let his hand drop, and she whispered, "But what should we do? What _can_ we do?"

With a bitter pang of defeat, Jason realized that she was right. They didn't know where Leo was. If they started searching blindly, they could be on one side of the world while he was on the other. What if Leo had met with an accident, and they didn't know? They'd be looking for him for ages. Jason's shoulders sagged at the reality. "I don't know."

The closest synonym to 'reality' was probably 'harsh'. However, reality provided some sweet moments, too. Man, if this continued, reality was seriously going to make Jason a masochist or something. But Jason really didn't know. He wished that he'd attached a tracking device to Leo before letting him wander off alone.

Piper seemed to be having similar thoughts. "We could've spent more time with him, or at least asked him where he would go. I'd never thought about asking him. How could I? But-the chance is already gone. What can we do now?"

Jason wished that they could travel back in time and shake the answer out of Leo. Or maybe secretly follow him when he left the camp. It was too late. All they could do now was-

"Pray. We pray to the gods that he'll be safe. We pray to the gods that our best friend will get what he want and return, safe and sound."

And so they prayed. And prayed. And prayed. They didn't even care if he hated them, or didn't want to be with them anymore. They felt that they deserved it. All they wanted was hiss safety. So, they stood on the fringes of the forest, in each other's arms, praying for their best friend and the little-brother-who-never-was.

* * *

Jason listened to Clarisse and Percy as they told the cabin counselors (Nyssa was the representative for the Hephaestus Cabin) about their planned route. From what the son of Jupiter had learnt, they were going to ride the hippocampi underwater and through the Clashing Rocks. They would make use of Percy's powers to protect them and supply atmospheric oxygen for Clarisse (bubbles, bubbles). Percy had a rough idea of where Aeaea was, so they would ride the hippocampi there. Then, Percy and Clarisse would try to get Circe to break Annabeth's curse and return safely.

The son of Jupiter glanced at the world map on the ping-pong table. A dotted line was drawn from Long Island Sound to an 'x' marked by Percy, which represented where Aeaea should be. Chiron cleared his throat, catching the attention of the counselors. Percy and Clarisse stopped speaking and turned to him. The centaur said, "Are you sure that going underwater through the Clashing Rocks is the safest way for you to enter the Sea of Monsters? It is very dangerous, and the hippocampi may be injured badly. Jason, the first one, and the Argonauts only survived because of the protection that Hera gave them."

It seemed that Percy was already prepared for Chiron to ask this question, for he answered confidently, "That's what the ring is for. To protect us."

Chiron looked like he was mulling over the matter, then nodded for him to continue. Jason doubted that Reyna's ring was strong enough to protect both Percy and Clarisse from the Clashing Rocks and Circe's magic. Everything had its limit, right? He was about to ask them the question when Piper beat him to it, "Not jinxing you or anything, but, what if the ring suddenly malfunctions?"

Percy frowned, but Clarisse answered with determination, "I trust that it won't. But if it does, we still have our weapons." Everyone around the table fell silent. Jason mentally chided himself for doubting their powers. After all, Percy was probably one of the strongest demigods of the century. Combined with Clarisse's war god powers, they could seriously kick some sorceress' butt.

"So…no more questions?" Percy asked. The other counselors shook their heads, still keeping quiet. The son of Poseidon turned to Chiron. The latter nodded his head. "Meeting adjourned. Godspeed, Percy and Clarisse. Good luck on your quest."

* * *

That afternoon saw many tears and goodbyes. As Percy and Clarisse mounted their hippocampi on Fireworks Beach, all the campers wished them luck. Jason would've preferred if it were a scene from a movie. After overcoming many obstacles (with awesome sound effects to accompany their stunning karate moves), the two heroes would save the day and return home to find everyone safe and sound, cheering them on. Unfortunately, this was real life. Miracles like that hardly ever happened. And in a demigod's life? Forget it.

"Good luck, man," Jason said, holding his fist out. Percy knew exactly what to do and fist-bumped him. Determination was practically radiating off his sea-green eyes. He replied, "I'll come back. I'll see Annabeth and all of you again. I promise."

Right before Percy and Clarisse disappeared underwater with their hippocampi, Jason remembered something. One line from the prophecy of the Seven hadn't been completed yet.

'_An oath to keep with a final breath_'.

* * *

**Cliffhanger~**


End file.
